Sammie Okposo renounces COSON membership

Posted by: Editor December 28, 2013 in Bang Showbiz, News, Starnews Leave a comment

By Osagie Alonge

Sammie Okposo

Sammie Okposo has renounced his membership with the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).

According to a statement released by his reps, Okposo’s decision to leave COSON is due to what he says is the lack of transparency and accountability on the part of the collective management organization. The Gospel singer wants COSON to stop collecting royalties and acting on his behalf with immediate effect.

‘I, Sammie Okposo, a proud Nigerian artiste wishes to notify the general public and all stakeholders alike that I have stopped being a member of COSON’, he said in a statement released this week.

Okposo’s exit comes weeks after the Broadcast Organisation of Nigeria (BON) and Independent Broadcast Association of Nigeria (IBAN) pronounced a ban on the airing of the musical works of 96 musicians including Okposo.

Okposo has also called for the registration of another CMO with a view to breaking the monopoly currently being enjoyed by COSON.

Meanwhile COSON has responded to Okposo’s statement saying that he will still return to COSON.

‘With time Gospel Singer, Sammie Okposo will realize that there are few Nigerian institutions that are run with a level of transparency, accountability and professionalism available at COSON and he will return to the fold’, Chinedu Chukwuji said in a statement sent to NET.

According to Mr Chukwuji’, ‘Sammie has not availed himself the opportunity of visiting the COSON office and is clearly unfamiliar with the quality of personnel, the technology and processes put to work at COSON’.

Mr Chukwuji also said that COSON has not received any resignation letter from Okposo.