Efe Omoregbe who was recently arrested and released by the Nigeria Police has released a press statement detailing circumstances that led to his arrest and eventual release. Recall that the talent manager and Now Muzik boss was arrested last week over the contentious chairmanship position of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON). The Tony Okoroji's faction had accused him of forgery and impersonation, the matter which has been taken to court was adjourned till May 17th, 2018.
In his statement, he insisted that no amount of intimidation would stop him from remaining as the chairman of COSON.
His statement read
"NO AMOUNT OF HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION CAN STOP #AuditCOSON.
'Recent orchestrated attacks on the persons and reputation of members of our Board by Chief Tony Okoroji, his acolytes and agents have more than anything else, provided proof of a growing desperation to avoid probe, cover the truth and perpetuate the illusion of his purported reinstatement as chairman of the governing board of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).
"The widely reported arrest of our substantive and duly elected chairman Mr Efe Omorogbe and another Board member Mr Joel Ajayi and subsequent arraignment and bail on charges of impersonation, forgery, conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace and threat to life are the latest steps in a series of desperate and futile moves by Okoroji to harass, intimidate and coerce them into abdicating the leadership of the board, mislead the law enforcement agencies and the populace as a ploy for dumping the call for a full forensic audit of accounts and operations of COSON."
'Following receipt of the directive of the industry regulator, Nigerian Copyright Commission in a letter dated February 19, 2017 declaring Okoroji’s reinstatement and sack of elected board members as null and void, the Board proceeded to act in substantive capacity and carried out the following actions:
1. A board meeting was called on March 6, 2018 at the COSON House wherein all 11 directors (including Tony Okoroji, John Uduegbunam, Azeezat Allen and Ras Kimono), management and the Nigeria Copyright Commission were duly notified. Okoroji and co absented themselves from the meeting and directed his agents to lock the other board members out. Having formed a quorum with 6 directors present, we proceeded with the meeting at the entrance of the locked office with representatives of the commission, an officer from the Public Complaint Bureau, Lagos Police Command and reporters all present.
- It is this meeting that has been fraudulently reported to the office of the IG as the mobilization of thugs to disrupt an Okoroji meeting with intent to cause a breach of public peace and threat to life!
2. We wrote to COSON bankers to formally communicate a directive from the duly elected board to stop honouring all cheques signed by Okoroji who has continued to parade himself as chairman along with others who may have been fraudulently listed as directors of COSON and on- boarded as signatories to the accounts.
For the avoidance of doubt, we members of Coson Board wish to use this medium to reiterate with emphasis that Tony Okoroji remains sacked and that Mr Efe Omorogbe remains chairman of the board of COSON. We will also like to assure members of the society and concerned members of the public that the phantom charges do not hold any water and that no amount of grandstanding, threat, attacks, intimidation, abuse of power or abuse of court processes will stop a full forensic audit of COSON account and operations.'
