OKOROJI VS OMOROGBE: COSON FILES SUIT AT APPEAL TO STOP NCC’S ALLEGED INTERFERENCE

ALLEN, Lagos, Nigeria – Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) has filed a motion for interlocutory injunction at the Court of Appeal in Lagos, praying the court to restrain the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) their officers, agents, privies or anybody howsoever called, from taking any steps to victimize or otherwise affect the rights of COSON to carry out its duties and functions as a Collective Management Organization (CMO), pending the hearing and determination of the appeal in Appeal.

 

The motion(No. CA/L/415/18 was filed by Mr. Uchechukwu Val Obi(SAN) of Alliance Law Firm, leading eight other lawyers. In the affidavit in support of the motion, COSON said that since the judgement of Ibrahim Buba delivered on the 13th of February 2018, the NCC and AGF have been emboldened to interfere in the internal affairs of COSON and to exact punishment on the leadership of COSON for having the effrontery to institute the action at the Federal High Court.

 

COSON further said that the NCC and the AGF are taking every step to discredit and remove the leadership of COSON to create the atmosphere for them to achieve their objectives to the detriment of COSON, its members and those whose interest are represented by COSON.

 

In the affidavit, it was also deposed to that on or about 11th April 2018 the NCC through one Afam Ezekude, its Director General, had in Lagos, issued a press statement published in the NCC’s website where the commission stated its preference to have COSON led by what it described as a dissident group led by one Efe Omorogbe, threatening to take drastic steps against COSON.

 

Reacting to the development, COSON General Counsel, Ms. Simi Wash Pam said that the issues are now firmly in the court of law and everyone must respect the courts and anyone aggrieved must go to court to ventilate their grievance.