Admin l Tuesday, April 23, 2019
LAGOS, Nigeria – Factional chairman of Copyright Society of Nigeria(COSON), Mr. Efe Omorogbe has threatened to sue Publisher of www.beats-onit.com, Mr. Uzor Chikere for N200 million for publishing an article that Omorogbe collected interest-free loans from COSON in the short period he held sway at the collective management organisation as chairman.
The alleged story with the title, “bombshell, how Efe Omorogbe collected N9 million interest-free loan from COSON in 2 months was published April 8, 2019. Read the contentious story here
Omorogbe through his lawyers, B. E. Ehiwele and Co is demanding immediate retraction, formal apology and the sum of N200,000,000.00 in settlement for the story and a series of other articles published “with the clearly malicious intention to damage the reputation of the respected creative entrepreneur and leading figure in the founding of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the journalist will be slapped with a lawsuit if he fails to meet the demands within a 2-week period”, he said.
Omorogbe explained that this move has become necessary in the light of constant libelous attacks on Efe Omorogbe since early 2018.
“Upon receipt of the regulator’s position on the illegality of the resolutions that purportedly reinstated Tony Okoroji after his December 7, 2017 sacking, Omorogbe convened a board meeting on March 6, 2018 in his capacity as legal chairman.
“That board meeting which held at the main entrance of COSON House because the management had locked out the directors triggered a series of lawsuits and the eventual suspension of the operating licence of COSON.
“Uzor Chikere and his news website, beats-onit.com, curiously adopting self-appointed role of Okoroji’s cheer leader have subjected Efe Omorogbe to a barrage of attacks depending mainly on half-truths and blatant lies to malign his character and public image.
“Against the basic ethics of the journalism profession, Uzor Chikere has repeatedly published false and maliciously skewed stories without extending to Efe Omorogbe, the right to state his side of the story in reaction to whatever his sources had alleged.
“The day of reckoning seems to have arrived for the veteran journalist who may now have to defend his statements in court”, he said.
