PMAN: A House Divided

Vanessa Obioha and Agnes Ekebuike plumb the ongoing saga rocking the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN)

In  the past few days, the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has been embroiled in a deepening saga. It began with the shocking announcement of the suspension of its president, Pretty Okafor, one-half of the defunct music duo, Junior and Pretty. On Friday, August 23, the National Working Committee (NWC) of PMAN issued a statement suspending Okafor indefinitely for alleged financial misconduct, unconstitutional actions, and violation of constitutional duties. The statement also announced the appointment of Sunny Neji, the first vice president, as the interim president, and prohibited Okafor from accessing PMAN’s property in Abuja and the secretariat in Lagos. 

Not one to bow to defeat, Okafor fired back, accusing the NWC of conspiring against him and making decisions in his absence—he was on a trip when he learned about his suspension.

After convening an emergency meeting to address the recent developments, the National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved in a statement to appoint a National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) consisting of a chairman and four other members, in accordance with Article 13 (C) (ii) of the PMAN Constitution. The NDC is “mandated to investigate the allegations of misconduct and breaches of the Constitution or Code of Conduct by Mr. Pretty Okafor and the Chapter Governors/Sole Administrators, as referred to it by the NWC,” the statement read.

The NEC also instructed the NWC to issue a press release “immediately across all platforms and media channels initially used to announce the suspension of Mr. Pretty Okafor and the affected Chapter Governors/Sole Administrators.” This step was deemed necessary to mitigate any further damage to the association’s public image and to assure members and stakeholders of its commitment to a fair and just resolution.

However, the NWC’s subsequent statement contradicted the NEC’s instructions. The NWC maintained that Okafor would remain suspended pending the outcome of investigations. It also noted that “a NEC meeting can only be convened by the current Acting President, Sunny Neji, and the General Secretary, both Executives have no knowledge of the purported NEC meeting.”

In a statement dated August 27, the NEC said it has suspended some members of the NWC including Neji, Zaaki Azzay (2nd Vice President), Micheal ‘Ruggedman’ Ugochukwu (National Ex-Officio) and FO Baba Ojonorgua (National Treasurer). It also relieved the duties of Boniface Itodo, the General Secretary; and Faga Bem Paul, the Assistant General Secretary.

According to the NEC, these suspensions and dismissals resulted from the findings of the NDC concerning the allegations against Okafor. The investigations revealed that a “State Chapter Governor confronted members of the NWC about receiving approximately N30,000,000.00 each, an allegation that was strongly denied by the NWC members. Following this confrontation, the NWC proceeded to suspend the State Chapter Governor who raised the concern. However, the NDC has obtained a payment schedule, a document titled ‘NWC PAYMENT ALLOWANCE dated 3rd June 2022,’ which corroborates the claim made by the State Chapter Governor. This document, now in the possession of the NEC, confirms that such payments were indeed made to the NWC members.”

Other findings included the direct violation of Article 18(D)  of the PMAN constitution which states “that a member shall not be fined, suspended, or expelled from the Association unless reasonable opportunity has been given to him to be heard in person.”

The NDC also discovered that Ojonorgua had alleged that his signature was forged and added to the queries and press release issued by the NWC. “This allegation, if proven true, constitutes a serious act of misconduct and fraud, further undermining the integrity of the NWC’s actions,” the statement read. Moreover, the NDC confirmed that the NWC wrote a letter to a “committed developmental partner of PMAN in South-South Nigeria, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), urging them to terminate an existing agreement between PMAN and the NDDC. If this action, which was conducted without the knowledge or consent of the NEC, is found to be true, will be considered a shocking and highly detrimental move that undermines the strategic partnerships vital to the association’s development.”

While the NEC is committed to repairing PMAN’s public image in the wake of this crisis, the damage may take time to heal.

Founded in 1984 by the late Sunny Okosun and Christy Essien-Igbokwe, PMAN was established to champion the rights and welfare of Nigerian musicians. In its early years, it played a crucial role in advocating for better working conditions, securing favourable contracts, and representing the interests of musicians both domestically and globally. The association quickly became a symbol of unity and progress within the Nigerian music industry, bringing and offering a collective voice for artists in a rapidly evolving cultural landscape.

Despite its promising beginnings, PMAN has been damaged by a series of leadership crises and also internal conflicts that have repeatedly threatened its stability. Over the years, the association has become notorious for its frequent power struggles, with various factions within the association competing for control. The ongoing saga is yet another reflection of the leadership crises that have long confronted the association.

To be fair, Okafor’s leadership has, in a way, restored confidence in the association. Under his leadership, he discovered that properties of PMAN were stolen by members of the union under a false identical name, the Performing Musician Association of Nigeria. He was also responsible for the partnership with the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) which led to the creation of the GoCreate app. The app manages the revenues from artists’ streamed works on any platform, and has been deployed in other parts of the continent, including Ghana. Okafor’s tenure also saw the unveiling of the well-equipped PMAN secretariat in Lagos.

As far back as 2019, Okafor considered leaving the leadership of PMAN due to constant greed and insincerity within the association. However, his executives thought otherwise, believing him to be the bridge linking the old and new artists and fearing that without him, the union would lose its relevance.

With this latest scandal and the NDC findings, Okafor is once again exonerated from the allegations against him. But will this mark the end of PMAN’s leadership tussles? Only time will tell.