...[PRESS RELEASE] THE LEADERSHIP CRISIS IN PMAN CROSS RIVER STATE CHAPTER BY John Brown Bassey (Gen. Brown Bread) Interim Chairman PMAN C.R.S

THE LEADERSHIP CRISIS IN PMAN CROSS RIVER STATE CHAPTER

BY John Brown Bassey (Gen. Brown Bread)

Interim Chairman PMAN C.R.S

Sequel to our visit to the palace of our Royal father the paramount Ruler of Calabar Municipality and the Ndidem of the Quas & Ejagham Kingdom on Wednesday April 19th  2017, where the above issue was mentioned, the Interim Executive Committee and members of the Performing Musicians Employers' Association of Nigeria (PMEAN) Cross River State Chapter wish to formally draw the attention of the general public  to the on-going crisis threatning the leadership of the Cross River State Chapter of PMAN and to appeal for Your kind intervention.

PMEAN, simply pronounced 'PMAN' is the flag bearer of the nation's music and entertaiment sector that was duly registered in 1984 under the Trade Unions (Amendment) Act of 1978 with the mandate to prescribe criteria and set standards for the regulation of music performances in Nigeria. Its activities are regulated by the Registrar of Trade Unions under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Unfortunately, for some years now, the Association has been enmeshed in severe leadership crisis that spread to the various State Chapters of the Association including the Cross River State Chapter.

In order to resolve all claims to the leadership of the Union, concerted efforts were made by concerned members of PMAN, public spirited individuals, the Nigerian Police, the Entertainment media and Legal experts.

An elaborate nationwide PMAN referendum was conducted and the result submitted to the Registrar of Trade unions, Mrs N. Mbogu culminated to the inauguration of PMAN Caretaker Committee by the Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment Sen. (Dr.) Chris Ngige on the 12th July, 2016.

The Caretaker Committee, headed by Barrister Kevin Lucciano was mandated to set up Caretaker Committees of PMAN in States chapters of the Association operating outside the PMAN Constitution and manage the affairs of the Association pending the conduct of a fresh National Delegates Conference of the Association.

As a trade union, there are processes that must be followed to produce a legitimate President that presides over the affairs of the union. This processes are contained in Rule 8 of the PMAN Constitution. However, Rule 13 (4) may apply if the circumstance arises.

It is in the light of this developments that a new leadership of PMAN Cross River State Chapter albeit on interim capacity was inaugurated by the National Headquarters of PMAN on Thursday, January 26th, 2017 in Calabar. This is because the previous interim Executives of the Chapter led by Mr. Effiom Bassey out-stayed their tenure with over seven years against the one year that was recommended for an interim executive.

The current Interim Executives of PMAN CRS has myself, John Brown Bassey a.k.a General Brown Bread from ABI LGA of Cross River State as Chairman, Prince Emmanuel Effiom-(Secretary), Miss Beauty Edet John-(Treasurer) and Mr Basil Asibong-(PRO).

While the peace and reconciliation process was on-going, a group of defiant members opposed to the peace process including one Mr. Pretty Okafor, Mr. Kenny George and Mr Ibezimako Okeilo among others instituted a suit before the Federal High Court, Lagos in Suit No: FCH/L/CS/919/2012 without the consent of any other member of the union and on the 31st day of October, 2014 the Hon. Justice E.O. Abang granted them a consent Judgment despite the fact that his court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain issues arising from trade unions.

On the 14th of April 2015, the fraudulent Judgment was set aside by the same Federal High Court having accepted its lack of jurisdiction while upholding the exclusive jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court over Trade Union matters. (Pls find attached copy of the certified true copy (CTC) of the court ruling setting aside the consent judgment touted around by Mr Pretty Okafor and his illegal group).

Your Majesty, it has become clear that with the setting aside of the purported consent jugment and the election of Hon. Lord Keston Okoro as President at the National Delegates Conference of the Association conducted on the 31st of January 2017 under the watchful eyes of the Registrar of Trade Unions in Nigeria, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment, the Vice President Nigerian Labour Congress, the Deputy Commandant Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, a representative of the Inspector-General of Police among others, the frivolous claims to the PMAN Presidency by the said Mr Pretty and his gang has effectively come to a conclusive end.

Our Constraint is that since our assumption of office, a certain group that continued to recycle itself as leaders of the chapter with primordial motives which are inimical to the goals of Cross River State musicians has refused to allow the State Chapter of PMAN to align with the activities at the National Headquarters of the Association thereby, constituting themselves into a clog in the wheel of PMAN progress.

This is thesame group that failed to galvanize our local musicians to tap into the culture and tourism outlets in the State and denied the Cross River State musicians the opportunity to effectively utilize the vantage position which the State tourism activities has placed them.

This same group have been operating from their bedroom having failed to secure an operation office for the Chapter in the 24 years of existence of the chapter till date and yet they dont see anything wrong about that.

The group is aware that within eight weeks of assumption into office we have been able to secure an office space at the cultural center complex calabar and an air time for our members to showcase their works at the CRBC Radio/TV channels

OUR PRAYERS:

Our humble prayer to whom it may concern is to use your good offices to call to order this group of people who are neither elected executives of the state nor representatives of the union.

We humbly solicit your help in this direction to give us the desired recognition and enable us perform our duties and attract the desired co-operation of the public.

We thank Your for your usual favorable response.

John Brown Bassey (Gen. Brown Bread)

Interim Chairman PMAN C.R.S

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