1972
It took nine years after the discord that stretched the period of
Nigeria independence, before musicians with profound individual talent
and determination came together again under one organisation with the
likes of late I.K Dairo, Victor Olaiya, Ebenezer Obey, Adeolu Akinsanya
and Teddy Ibirama. They united on Independence Day but broke up in 1972. 1975
Ace drummer, Bayo Martins spearheaded the formation of a musicians
association with Bobby Benson as the president and Martins as the
secretary but personal differences separated them in 1975 1977
Ghanaian Professor Kwabena Nketia used the spirit of Festival of Black
Art and Culture (FESTAC) to unite the Nigerian musicians with the
formation of National Music Council of Nigeria (NMCN) but irreconcilable
differences among top members dissolved the group. 1982
King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Christy Essien Igbokwe and Sunny
Okosun, converged to form P-MAN in 1984. The new association principally
sought to bring performers together in defence of their common
interest, which borders on piracy and boot- legging. About the same time
an attempt was made to resuscitate NUM but this time The Union was
called the National Union of Nigeria (NUNM) with Roy Chicago as its
patron. LATE 80’s AND EARLY 90’s
NUM and P-MAN emerged as the main bodies for musicians during this
period and they were perpetually opposed to each other making the music
industry appear to be a disorganised arena of quarrelsome colleagues and
unhealthy rivalry but eventually NUM fizzled out leaving only P-MAN to
take control. THE BIRTH OF PMAN
Christy Essien Igbokwe called a meeting to converge all musicians at
King Sunny Ade’s Ariya night club, Jibowu and King Sunny Ade was
unanimously elected as the president of PMAN. Members of his committee
were Emma Ogosi (Protem General Secretary) Christy Essien Igbokwe
(Treasurer) Terry Jackson Alumona (Administrative Secretary).
Sub-committees includes the technical committee headed by Laolu Akins
with members like Chris Ajilo, Harry Moscow, Onyeka Onwuenu, Lemmy
Jackson and Obi Onyiola. The anti-piracy committee had the likes of
Maliki Showman and Eunice Makos Animoku on board, while the publicity
committee was headed by Funmi Adams and Lijadu sisters were some
members. 1986
Sunny Okosun took over as the president in 1986; he had served as King
Sunny Ade vice president. Gathering enough funds to run P-MAN was
gradually becoming a problem so he did not seek re-election. 1989
Tony Okoroji was installed as the next P-MAN president in 1989. The
need to get further recognition for the association from the military
government at that time was engineered by him. The Nigerian Music Awards
(NMA) instituted by him was held for three consecutive years. Top
military functionaries attended the show, millions were realised and it
looked like the association would get a magnificent plaza at the Federal
Capital Territory Abuja after it had secured an 8.5 hectares of land,
but it was not to be. Okoroji got a third term and he remains the
longest serving P-MAN president. 1995
Okoroji handed over to his ally Mallam Mustapha Amego, the first and
only northerner to preside over the affairs of the association. 1997
Christy Essien Igbokwe who had done two terms, was stopped from
re-contesting for a third term by a court injunction instituted by her
friend Terry Jackson Alumona. 2000
Christy handed over to King Sunny Ade. Frustrations led him out of the organisation.
2002 - 2003 - Sunny
Ade handed over to Mr. Femi Lasode. Lasode's tenure was uneventful. He
was eventually impeached on the 15th of March 2003 by the National
Executive Council (NEC), and a Ten Man Caretaker Committee headed by Mr.
Hariz Ib. Okeilo (Dr. Zimakoy) was put in place with the mandate to
oversee the affairs of the Association for 3 months and then organise a
free and fair election. Lasode was however allowed to complete his
tenure due to immediate intervention of well-meaning elders of the
Association. Lasode's impeachment was as a result of gross incompetence
and inability to carry out any meaningful program or project to generate
revenue for the Association. His attempt on the Nigerian Musicians
Music Hall of Fame ended in scandal.
2003 - 2005
- Charly Boy took over the office of the President of PMAN. His
dispensation came with a lot of razzmatazz and promised to continue the
fight against piracy.
On the 14th of July 2005, the National Executive Council (NEC)
meeting summoned by Charly Boy’s Exco, held and fixed Nov. 28, 2005 for
the National Delegates Conference and Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Capital
was chosen as venue. However two months to the day, President Charles
Oputa (Charly Boy) and his second in command Oritz Williki convened
another meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC). The meeting
held at the PMAN Headquarters, then situated at No. 18 Adegbola Street,
Anifowoshe - Ikeja on the 25th of September 2005, and the Council
Delegates disagreed with the conveners of the meeting and voted in favor
of 28 November and venue as originally agreed. The slogan then was: "On
Uyo Election we Stand".
At the Uyo Election, The following officers were elected: (1)
Admiral Dele Abiodun – President (2) Mr. Emma Ogosi - 1st Vise President
(3) Mr. Ibezim H. Okeilo (Dr. Zimakoy) 2nd Vice President (4) Mr. Kunle
ponle (Opio) - National Treasurer.
Upon return from Uyo to Lagos after the Election, Mr. Charles Oputa
refused the new Exco entry into the PMAN Secretariat. His second in
command Oritz Williki consequently filed a suit at the Ikeja High Court
to stop Dele Abiodun from parading himself as PMAN President.
2006 - 2009 -
In February 2006 - while the suit was pending in court, Charles Oputa
and his group organised another election in Kaduna where Charly Boy's
right hand man Bolaji Rosiji emerged President. Bolaji's administration
inherited the court process. The young man (Bolaji) tried his best to
succeed in the face of many obstacles but his best was not good enough
as he was highly criticized from all angles by the administration that
put him there, despite the fact that Admiral Dele Abiodun had already
been elected President.
In 2007 Bolaji Rosiji resigned from the position due to pressure
from Charly Boy, and Tee Mac Omatsola Itseli took over as President
without following due constitutional provisions. The battle for who
takes over the rightful presidency of PMAN continued in court between
Admiral Dele Abiodun and Tee Mac for a long time that the entire
industry lost interest in who emerges winner until 20th March 2009, when
Admiral Dele Abiodun was declared duly elected President of PMAN, in a
landmark judgement delivered by Justice L.G.A. Marsh of the the Ikeja
High Court. After the court victory Dele Abiodun took over the total
control of PMAN as President.
2010
- Efforts was made during this period to introduce two life changing
projects - The Media Distribution Network (MDN) and the PMAN Musicians
Hall of Fame but this two projects did not see the light of day due to
the diversion of the funds that would have facilitated the unveiling of
the projects. Police at the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) investigated these
diversions of Union funds and found Dele Abiodun and his cohorts
culpable, hence they were charged to court on 7 count charges of fraud
and stealing of Union funds.
2011 - 2014
- During the pendency of the fraud and stealing charges in court, Dele
Abiodun in January 26, 2011 organized an illegal election in Oshogbo
that brought him back as President. The Oshogbo election was however
challenged in court and on the 6th of June 2011, Admiral Dele Abiodun
denounced the Oshogbo election and resigned his position as President to
Emma Ogosi, his second in command. Emma immediately assumed position as
President and on the 23rd of June, 2011 Murphy Van Anthony invaded the
PMAN Secretariat with over one hundred and fifty (150) armed thugs and
forcefully took over the leadership of the Association in total
disregard of the PMAN constitution. PMAN tried to use the police to
address the issue to no avail and then a case was instituted against
Murphy and his gang by PMAN, Mr. Ibezim H. Okeilo (1st Vice President)
and 31 others at the Federal High Court Lagos division.
Murphy Van Anthony continued his reign of terror and even went as
far as organizing the election that brought in Hajia Amina Dangaji as
President in 2013, despite the fact that there was an order of the
Federal High Court to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the final
determination of the matter in court.
This piece cannot be complete without mentioning the PMAN Peace
Initiative Committee. That group led by Kelvin Luciano Gabriel was
personally put together by Dr. Zimakoy, to call Murphy Van Anthony to
order and prevent him from further plundering of the Union, but members
of the committee had a different plan and agenda to unconstitutionally
take over the leadership of the Association. The Peace Committee became a
Law unto themselves, they rented an office apartment, appointed
themselves officers and even filed a suit at the National Industrial
Court in a representative capacity with the sole aim of using the court
to rubber stamp their illegality. However PMAN responded appropriately
and prevented them from the cash-and-carry judgment that they had
bargained for.
Nevertheless, Murphy Van Anthony and his group continued their war
against the Union until Feb 2014, when they pleaded for out of court
settlement of the matter at the Federal High Court. It was at that point
that terms of settlement
was agreed and on the 31st of October 2014, a consent Judgment in the
matter was delivered after several adjournments and the following men
made the list of the new interim PMAN Executive as encapsulated by the
court Judgment - Mr. Pretty Okafor, Mr. Hariz H. Okeilo, Mr. Sunny Neji,
Mr. Tuface Idibia, Baba Dee, Mr. Tolu Obey, Mr. Dennis Baker and Kenny
Ama George, with Pretty Okafor as President.
This administration is turning out to be the greatest the industry
has ever had, churning out several new projects and resuscitating old
ones. History will be the judge when the time comes.
PMAN ID Prototype 
