Media Firm Slams PMAN’s Ownership Claims Over Creative Conference

The firm responsible for the organisation of the recently-concluded Creative Industry Financing Conference in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture has condemned claims circulating in the media space that the initiative was conceived by Pretty Okafor, President of the Performing Musician Employers’ Association of Nigeria. The company, ThinkTank Media, in a statement, noted that Okafor’s claims that Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, plagiarised his idea of hosting such a conference, is totally off the mark.

“Our attention has been drawn to the letter of Messrs. I.C. Ejiofor & Co, written at the instruction of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) to the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, with regard (to) the recently-concluded Creative Industry Financing Conference organised by our organisation.

“The claim that the Creative Nigeria Financing Conference is the brainchild of Pretty Okafor is unfounded and derisory at the least. The conference did not only speak to the Nigerian music industry but also addressed the film and television practitioners with the aim of creating a viable relationship with the finance industry. This objective goes beyond the purview of Okafor (who heads) a not-for-profit labour union for musicians,” Managing Director of ThinkTank Media and Advertising Ltd, Taiwo Olukunle noted, while pointing out that the letter, widely circulated on various blogs and other electronic media platforms claiming that the Creative Industry Financing Conference was a brainchild of PMAN plagiarised by the minister from an idea and/or proposal submitted to him, Olukunle stated that: “It is not our practice to respond to every unguarded publication in the news media. However the dimensions of this publication in question and its calculated attempt to unjustifiably malign the person of the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, makes it expedient that a response be made to put things in proper perspective in the public domain where we have been unwittingly and inadvertently drawn to; and for the court of public opinion to decipher and make an informed decision on this matter that has been brought to its domain.”

According to her, the conference is an original project solely conceptualised and fully developed by Think Tank Media and Advertising Ltd and borne out of the firm’s innate desire to find a solution to the problem of financing that has over the years hampered the development of the Nigeria Creative Industry. She noted further that having duly approached and secured its participation, as the custodian and ministry in charge of the Nigerian creative sector, the Ministry of Information and Culture accorded the firm of its full support towards the successful hosting of the conference.

“We wish to put on record, that the allegation against the person of the minister with regard to the conference is spurious, highly misplaced and borders on a sinister plan to intentionally malign his person and put his good works into disrepute. The conference is the product of our creative effort and not that of the Minister or the Ministry.
“We believe that if PMAN had taken steps to conduct a due diligence on the Creative Industry Financing Conference, it would have discovered that the target and philosophy behind the conference is essentially different in form and substance to its allegedly proposed idea of ‘Implementation of Bar Coding Technology for the Creative Industry in Nigeria.’ For ease of reference, the Creative Industry Financing Conference was not aimed at generating revenue for the government as was projected by the idea expressed in the alleged proposal of PMAN, which is targeted at making N10.3 trillion for the government from the creative industry in Nigeria. The conference is principally aimed at identifying, addressing and proffering solutions to the financing needs of businesses in the creative industry as against the revenue generating adventure of PMAN’s proposed idea,” Olukunle added.

While directly addressing the petition by the legal adviser of PMAN, she submitted: “Think Tank Media and Advertising Ltd reiterates the ownership of the right in the literal works conceptualised and expressed through the Creative Nigeria Financing Conference and we intend to continue exercising the right to its fullest benefit,” she advised PMAN to direct all hostilities at the firm and not the person of the minister and his ministry if it wishes to go ahead with the threat of litigation. “The claim that the Creative Nigeria Financing Conference is the brainchild of your client is unfounded and derisory at the least. The Conference did not only speak to the Nigerian music industry but also addressed the film and television practitioners with the aim of creating a viable relationship with the finance industry. This objective, goes beyond the purview of PMAN, a not for profit labor union for musicians. The public has obviously been misinformed by this deliberate twist and falsehood precipitated by the letter written on behalf of PMAN. We advise that the organisation seeks the path of honor and set the record straight,” Olukunle submitted.

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