I have never ever forged anybody’s signature. I come from a very proper legal background and those that know me, knows that I was sent to school to read law. I know the legal implications of forgery. It’s the easiest way to go to jail. I would never do that. Barrister Obinna made a mistake with Iyanya’s name. So when we came back, they approved the loan
Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, March 15, 2019
LAGOS, Nigeria – Chief Executive Officer, Made Men Music,l has revealed his own side of the story after his colleague, Iyanya lambasted him on air, saying he got just N145,000 from the deal the company did with Techno, though the musician brought in over N30 million in revenue to the MMM.
Ubi Franklin, who spoke on Cool Fm, the same medium, Iyanya used to attack him said, Iyanya showed no interest in MMM but had to practically coopt him into the team when it became the tonic needed for MMM to prosper before parties parted ways in 2016.
He said Iyanya made it very clear from inception that he was not interested in the business side of music, but just to promote his music in all the discussion he had with him at inception. “When we registered this company, business was not really going well. Things were actually rough”, he said.
“He’s not cut out for doing the business side of the music. I had witnesses there. Myself, Bassey. I don’t think Deetunes was there, it was the next day. The next day, we were at the balcony where I used to live. I was squatting with somebody. Emma Nyra use to come around because the studio was closer. I now said, “Made Man Music” but Emma Nyra said no since there are two guys, it should be “Made Men Music”. I was like, Oh that makes sense. We chopped knuckles. Iyanya was pressing his phone. I told him, “we have found a name, let’s go and register our name. He said, I am not Interested. As far a my music and everything is, you can handle everything. I just want to sing”, he said in during the interview.
Franklin said he rested the subject and travelled to Abuja for registgration. “There was a friend that introduced me to a lawyer. His name is Obinna. Obinna helped me to do the registration.
Besides, he said on one occasion, Iyanya attempted to sign up for a label without their knowledge.
“Sometime, in 2012, we have gone to one of those top records label. They use to live in Omole .We have gone to visit them, we had drinks at their pool side. And then they invited Iyanya into the house and then they had a conversation with Iyanya, with myself, Emma Nyra, Deetunes and Bassey. When we were driving back, Iyanya broke the news to us that they wanted to sign him.. When they Called Iyanya into the house, I was not there, We were all seated at the pool side having drinks.
“So, going home, I was fuming. Like why will you let them sign you”, he said, stressing that the bone of contention was Iyanya attempting to do the deal without their knowledge. “I believe that the whole team that came here with you, we work hard for you to make sure that you are where you are right now and you are able to carry us. This is a team, so pulling you out is going to be a big situation for us. I made him understand that and then we drove home”, he said, stressing that Iyanya was only interested in the money.
” I said, listen the easiest thing in my life for me to do is to look for money. Once there’s a product that can generate money, going to look for the money is easy. I will always tell people, don’t look for the money before you have the product to carry yourself”, he said.
Ubi Franklin explained that things started looking up after an encounter with a lady that worked for Access Bank during a trip to Delta State in September 2012. “When we alighted from the flight, I saw a lady carrying a bag. I now told Iyanya, I don’t know who that lady is. See that lady, go after her, help her and carry her bag. She might be the woman that can help us. You know we are looking for money, she might be the woman that can help us.
“Iyanya went and helped the woman, they started talking and gisting, So I cut up with them. We were just talking. Then she now introduced who she was. She works at Access Bank at that time. She revealed that her kids love Iyanya and his songs. At the time Kukere was reigning. So when we got back to Lagos after the trip to Asaba, Delta state. I contacted the lady. I said, MA I know you work in a bank, things have been tough for us. We are trying to push Iyanya and everything. Is it possible for us, for your bank to give us a loan? “
“She now said, Yeah sure. Come to the office. We went to their office in VI and we spoke to them and everything. And she said, can she see our CAC document. So when I presented the document, she looked at the document and found out that Iyanya’s name was not on the document. She now said, “Ubi, If Iyanya’s name is not on this document we can’t give you the loan because it’s Iyanya we know. So I turned and looked at Iyanya, he put his head on the floor. He knew he messed up at that time because this is business for us, and I always told him, if I ask you to do something, let’s do it. Because it might not make sense now but it might make sense tomorrow.
“She said we should go back to CAC and rectify the document. We went back to CAC in September 2012 and we got new document. This document shows Iyanya. October 2012. “I have never ever forged anybody’s signature. I come from a very proper legal background and those that know me, knows that I was sent to school to read law. I know the legal implications of forgery. It’s the easiest way to go to jail. I would never do that. Barrister Obinna made a mistake with Iyanya’s name. So when we came back, they approved the loan.
“Freda Francis, I’m sorry to say this. She was the person that gave us security for the loan. To back up the loan. We pushed kukere to the next level. We did a video for ‘your waist ‘. We needed to push the face with the song, that’s why we acquired the loan. We signed the relinquishing share document that says that everything the company’s make, we are going to make 50/50”, he revealed.
He also revealed how MMM signed on Tekno. “In late 2012, we had gone to Abuja to record a song. Tekno walked into the studio. And started singing, “Ekaete loves to dance”. I was impressed. When I see a good talent, I’m up for it. So I was impressed. So I met him after the whole thing and asked if he was signed. He said yes for now. I told him to let me know when his contract expires. Iyanya doesn’t like Tekno and I have proof to prove that.
“Later, Tekno called me and I sent him my house address. We were moving to a new house then. I contacted his lawyer. We did all the documentation. Iyanya was on Tekno’s album, Ekaete loves to dance. I asked Iyanya if he remembers Tekno, on the music album. Can we sign him. Iyanya told me point blank, I don’t want to be part of anything artiste. I want to focus on my career and I am not interested in signing any artiste. I gave Tekno a room downstairs in our new house. Tekno said he can’t stay downstairs and believes he should stay upstairs. So I reasoned, he is not just an upcoming artiste because he already has his songs, holiday and Onyeneku singing on radios. I went upstairs and told Iyanya, let’s take this guy upstairs and all that. Iyanya was fuming and said he doesn’t want to do it.
Freda Francis called me. She was there when all these were happening. She called me and said, ”Ubi, I know you are a great business guy and I know that when your mind tells you something that something is gonna be right, that thing will happen. Please if you know that you can do this thing and in the future it will turn out right, please do it”.
“I said, you don’t need to even tell me, Me I know I’m gonna do it. Because we need to make sure that it’s not just from Iyanya. Despite my partner Iyanya’s reluctance in signing the deal, I believe that Tekno was gonna be a big star. I had no doubts about that. If you stay with Tekno you will love to even sing. Iyanya never spent a dime on promoting Tekno. If he says he has spent, he should bring the proof. I spent a lot trying to shoot Tekno’s video “if I dance. Things were really rough for me after I shot that video. It didn’t pick up as much. In 2015, Tekno did Duro and that was when things picked up for Tekno”, he said.
He said that in early 2016 when Tekno has started making money, Iyanya came and asked why he is not making money from Tekno. “I told him, You can’t come to me like that. You are even supposed to be apologizing to me for not bringing a dime to promote Tekno. Before we started making money, I had to transfer the management of Tekno because I had too many artistes to manage. So Paulo tried to settle us.
In New York. He advised I give Iyanya a percentage out of whatever Tekno is making. I thought about it and agreed. So after giving Tekno his own share, I and Iyanya shared the remaining 50/50. And he thanked me and left. I have proofs. Watsapp messages. Iyanya got more than N145,000 from Tekno’s deal. I have proofs. I had bills to clear but Paul said he was gonna clear the bills and any money that comes in, we are gonna take that money to offset his own side of the business. From the messages, Iyanya said he was tired of Paul sitting down, collecting money and doing nothing. I told him, he needed to calm down. Because at that point, Paul was trying to help us close up a lot of bills that we had incured”, Franklin said.
He said, this happened for about 5 months and Iyanya left in July. “So when Iyanya was leaving. He said he wanted to leave everything, that he doesn’t want to have anything to do with the company. In July, I started getting emails from him for settlement contract. At that point I didn’t know he was going to that label that he went to.
“On the settlement agreement, which I posted online, Iyanya relinquished his shares on the company. All the shares. He transferred the shares to me. I sent my cousin to convince him not to leave. He sent a message to me that I should help him set up himself. I promised him that. That was before he went to the other label. I may not address this issue again even if they bring the whole allegations against me. If anybody comes here to sit down and tarnish another person’s image, please ask them to bring proofs.
“These are proofs of what I spent. Bills of food we ate. At shows. I spent money. I am a business man. If anybody is coming at me, they should come out clean. I am not perfect. Neither is anyone listening to me. Iyanya should point one person he helped in this life. I want to address this, music managers, we take all the blows. We take all bad vibes. Because you know we always do, we tell the artist to stay behind let’s go and do the dirty job. Some perfect guys might hate me. Ubi you are this, Ubi you are that. Good, it’s because I do the dirty job. We are representing the artist. Because we know the fire the artist is giving us back.
“Till December 2018, every now and then when I meet him. I ask him how far. Iyanya’s career is personal to me. I don’t address anybody’s issues and after today I will feel bad for myself. I am here at the detriment of son’s inter house sports. I feel bad for myself. So for whatever reason, I am here to clear myself and put the records straight. I am a business man, I don’t go out to defraud anybody. I invest in business. I run seven businesses. If I see a viable business that I think it’s gonna be, I invest in it”, he said.
