A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja
this Thursday, June 30, 2016 ordered frontline singer and politician, Ms. Onyeka
Onwenu to pay the sum of Five Million Naira as damages for defamation of
character to Chief Tony Okoroji, former President of PMAN and Chairman,
Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).
Delivering judgment in Suit No:
ID/935/12 filed in 2012, Hon Justice I. O. Akinkugbe (Mrs.) also ordered Ms.
Onwenu to tender an unreserved public apology to Chief Okoroji to be published
in Vanguard Newspapers and www.vanguardngr.com, the website of Vanguard Newspapers.
Reacting to the judgment, a jubilant Chief
Tony Okoroji who was in court said, ”Once again, as has happened several times
before, the courts have come to my rescue proving that despite what may be said
to the contrary, you can obtain justice in Nigeria. This has taken close to
four years of going in and out of court but at the end of the day, I must thank
Honourable Justice Akinkugbe who the Almighty has again used to do justice for
her professionalism. I must also thank my lawyer, Mr. Justin Ige for his commitment
and thoroughness.
“I have committed much of my life to
fighting for the welfare of every musician in Nigeria and protecting the
interest of all including Ms. Onyeka Onwenu. In the battle, I have spared
myself no inconvenience or discomfort and countless times, I have had to risk
my life, my reputation and the welfare of my family. Working with my colleagues
at COSON, we have made available to musicians across Nigeria hundreds of
millions of Naira as we set out with the building of the most professional,
transparent and accountable organization in the history of the creative
industries in Nigeria, something that was considered impossible just a few
years ago.
“I wish I never had to take Ms.
Onwenu to court. I consider every Nigerian musician including Onyeka a member
of my extended family. Onyeka however left me with little choice. I went to
court in self defence. Till today, I do not know what wrong I did to Onyeka Onwenu.
As someone I considered a close colleague and friend, I was shocked at the level
of hatred she had generated within herself to justify her all-consuming
campaign of lies without foundation to destroy the one thing she knows that I
cherish most; my integrity.
“Every appeal to Ms Onwenu to
reconsider what she was doing fell on deaf ears. Onyeka Onwenu has known me for
many years. She knows very well that under no circumstance would I take a penny
that does not belong to me but it suited her purpose to project me to the world
as a thief. Onyeka knows that I am a stickler for rules and order but it made
her happy to tell the world that I am lawless and a despot. I know that very
few people will believe this: three years ago, Onyeka Onwenu went to the Police
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Ikeja to wickedly report that I was chasing
her around at night in a red Jeep in her neighborhood with the intent to
assassinate her! This crazy report with absolutely no foundation was made a few
days to my Birthday (December 22) and Christmas. I have little doubt that the
intent was to have me suffer in jail during my Birthday, Christmas and New
Year. It took the wisdom of the police authorities and the intervention of
elders in the music industry such as Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, Prof
Victor Uwaifo and Dr. Ben Ofoeze to save me from the wickedness carefully
planned for me by someone I had treated with so much respect and love as my
sister and friend
“My commitment to my colleagues in
the music industry, the whole of the Arts and the Nigerian nation remains
unshaken. From the work we are doing, I see a very bright future soon for the
creative industries in Nigeria. How many times have I passed this road? I hope
my experience will be a lesson to young Nigerians that if you keep your hands
clean and do your job diligently, it does not matter what wickedness any man or
woman may contrive against you, the good Lord will protect you. The harder they
come, the harder they fall”.
Reacting to the judgment, ace
broadcaster and well known friend of Chief Tony Okoroji, Mr. Patrick Doyle said
“Some will recall that I publicly cautioned Onyeka Onwenu when she began her
ill-advised war of attrition against Chief Tony Okoroji. I told her that she
was taking on the wrong guy. She refused to listen. Now, the chickens have come
home to roost and she has to pay for her attempt to destroy a good man”.
No comments:
Post a Comment