NCC COMMENCES INVESTIGATION
The Nigerian Copyright Commission has commenced investigation into the on-going copyright infringement war between singer Veno Marioghae-Mbanefo and Airtel Network Limited.
The commission decided to investigate the matter after Airtel denied the singer’s claim that it infringed her copyright.
The telecommunication company said it did not receive any letter from Veno’s lawyers. It also emphatically denied promoting its TV App with her musical work, while claiming that the singer failed to prove that Airtel used the musical work on its TV App. Accusing Veno of damaging its reputation through some statements published online, Airtel threatened to drag her to court, if she fails to retract the statements and apologise within seven days from the receipt of the letter that it sent to her.
Meanwhile, Marioghae-Mbanefo denied ever defaming the telco’s reputation as alleged. She also insisted that Airtel infringed her musical copyright through their unsolicited telemarketing. Her lawyers, Felix Igelige and Associates, also claimed that a letter dated
April 14, 2022 was dispatched through NIPOST Speed Post to Airtel’s Head Office and her press statement was issued on April 20, 2022 as opposed to the telco’s claim that it didn’t receive any letter from her. THEWILL investigation shows that Airtel Network Limited made a jingle in which Veno’s hit song,
was played for about eight seconds and accompanied with the following words: “Dear customer, free download is here, you can now call all network to Nigeria with 12 kobo per seconds from the very first minute. Yes, 12kobo per seconds to all networks in Nigeria, just dial *152# Airtel cares.”
THE WILL spoke with, the Zonal
Head of the Nigeria Copyright Commission, Lagos State, Mathew Ojo, he corroborated our findings that the commission has commenced its investigation.
“The investigation is still ongoing, we have not established anything yet until we conclude our investigation. The other party (Airtel) has also visited the office and requested for some time to come back with their evidence to show that the offence was not committed by them,” he said.
Recall that Veno Marioghae-Mbanefo released the hit song,
in the 1980s, amid an economic crisis in the country, to encourage citizens that there was still hope for the country. The singer later claimed that her song was used by Airtel for its telemarketing and also to promote a reality singing show,
The Voice Nigeria. She slammed a copyright infringement suit against the company and demanded the sum of N50 million as compensation for using her musical work unlawfully.
Dr Oluwole Adetiran, who composed the anthem of the National Youth Service Corps, may be long gone, but one of the people most hit by his demise, aside his biological children and the Celestial Church of Christ, CCC, Lagos where he was the central choir music director, is gospel singer, Sola AllysonObaniyi.
The sonorous-voiced singer has remained inconsolable and devastated as a result of the demise of the man who passed on at the age of 74 on Friday, May 6, 2020 due to prolonged illness. Adetiran might not be AllysonObaniyi’s biological father, but he played that role in the singer’s life since she met him in 1997. He was instrumental to AllysonObaniyi’s success in the gospel music genre.
Although Sola came from a Muslim background, she always sneaked into churches to sing. After her conversion to Christianity, she joined the Central Choir of CCC as a member. Adetiran noticed her talent and called her “a striker” which affirmed that she needed to boost her confidence as a professional singer and back-up singer to the likes of late Gbenga Adeboye, Yinka Ayefele, Daddy Showkey, Pasuma and Obesere.
The entertainment industry was agog on Sunday, May 9 when Nollywood actress, Iniobong Edo Ekim, professionally known as Ini Edo, had a triple
Initially she was rejected because of the way her voice sounded, but Adetiran’s validation about her voice kept her going over the years. He built her confidence in the way she sings and often compared her with a football striker. Her voice became her unique selling point and has produced hit songs which later became anthems in the gospel music genre. Adetiran took her as a protégé even when her biological parents rejected her. He took her to every musical concert he was invited to as the choir leader of the Central Choir of CCC in Lagos state. Through his influence, she was able to secure musical performances that earned her a lot in terms of cash rewards.
The late composer was also instrumental to Sola’s education and the course she chose to study, which was music, at The Polytechnic, Ibadan. This was why she rallied round the great celebration at the La Madison Place, Lekki. The event was staged to celebrate the actress, who is fondly called brown sugar 40, her 20 years in Nollywood and the unveiling of GEMS, Girls Empowerment and Mentorship Scheme.
On the day of the grand celebration, Ini treated her friends and family to a sumptuous dinner. Her entrance to the venue of the party was a grand one, befitting a queen. The backdrop on the stage parted into two, unveiling the beautiful actress while fireworks and light music heralded her entrance as she strolled majestically to the stage.
One of the highlights of the party was the presence of the celebrant’s mother, Mrs. Edo Ekim, who paid glowing tribute to her daughter man when he was down with prostate cancer and diabetes, which contributed to his death. She would often celebrate him on social media and she had to make a public outcry when the news was agog that the great composer was hit by hard times and was dying a few years ago. She raised money, though with the assistance of his biological children and took him abroad for surgery and medications. while wishing her the good things of life that her heart longs for.
The event was well attended, with style icon, Uti Nwachukwu and Chioma Omeruah as the masters of ceremony. On the launch of Girls Empowerment Mentorship Scheme GEM which she unveiled at the party, Ini revealed that it was born out of her passion for the girl child. The actress believes when women are empowered, the nation is also empowered. As a strong advocate of women, most of the fundamental issues in the society are because the girl child is not well taken care of. If society pays close attention to her, she can help drive the change that is needed in the society, which is why the actress has been taking her advocacy and empowerment of the female gender very seriously.