By Charles Okogene
From the way things are shaping up, there seems to be no end to the crisis rocking the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), over who the authentic president of the association is between Mr. Pretty Okafor and Dr. Obi Okwudili Casmir (Vombastic).
Both men have been struggling for the soul of the association, which was founded through the initiatives of the late Chief Christy Essien-igbokwe decades ago, until an Ibadan based National Industrial Court (NIC) in a landmark decision ruled in favour of Okafor in a case brought by Obi seeking to overturn all the victories Okafor had earlier secured from the court.
What happened to Obi can be likened to the podgin English saying, “Nor bi person wey first run go police station dey win case.”
However, despite the court’s decision, members of PMAN that are either aggrieved by the decision, or in support, have been on a seeming war on social media over the development.
The battle line was drawn by Mr. Edi Okri who on November 25, 2020, on his Facebook wall, said “Pretty, are you not ashamed of yourself, my guy, so are you going to be using fake court rulings to run PMAN and how long do you want to go with destroying the beautiful association we started and branded before you came into the music industry?
“Shame on you and you are lucky I don’t reside in Nigeria and I would have dragged you and all your fake judges to jail, PMAN is not your personal business and it belongs to thousands of musicians nationwide and you people are doing this cunning nonsense to hold on to power and I tell you when the time comes, you will cough out all you have used PMAN to collect over the years, listen, step down and step off now before it’s too late for you.”
Okafor, who is still basking in the euphoria of his victory, replied thus: “You are a big fool, sir. And you should be the most stupid person on planet earth to use that word on me. A stupid idiot like you, why not stay back and fight me.
“This is the fourth time we are beating your gang of thieves hands down and you are slipping into my timeline to write trash. You are lucky that you are not around I would have given you a sample of what I did to them, idiot.”
“You think we in Nigeria are like beggars living in a strange land and pretending that you are doing well. Look at this urban slave, do you even know how the legal system works in Nigeria?
“Your stupid bunch of thieves took the union to court and this is the fourth time they have done it and the fourth time they have lost. We will get the Industry right and no big fool like you can stop it.
“Your time has passed, so go and look for what to do because the next president of PMAN will be a youth and not old thieves like you all.
“If you are man enough come and face me one on one. You are the fool that encouraged them to challenge the judgment in the court and now they have an injunction and restraining order on their heads and you came here crying. Get off my timeline fool.”
And when stakeholders thought that all members of the association will allow the sleeping dog lie and join hands with Okafor to right all that is wrong with the musicians’ body since Okoroji exited as president, Mr. Charles Imoloame a.k.a Charlimo and one Mr. Paul Graham ignited a fresh fire.
Imoloame had posted on PMAN NEWS Facebook timeline thus: “A court judgement can settle a dispute but can not impose a leadership on an association that has no dispute or leadership issues.
The constitution of Nigeria guarantees us freedom, so we don’t require any law to abstain from oppressive judgement.
Those who requested for a consent to choose a leader can queue behind the leader they surrendered their rights to but we shall choose our leaders through the ballot.
,”.
Graham responded by saying, “A court judgment against Atiku made Buhari the President. Anyone going against a court judgement risks a jail sentence.”
Imoloame replied again by adding that there are chances the Ibadan NIC decision might be appealed.
“Paul Graham that is precisely what is going to happen from the way I see things. Appeal the judgement.”
That was all that was needed for a barrage of pro and anti comments from members of PMAN, music journalists and other keen watchers of events in and around PMAN.