PMAN National Elections 2017: Is the tune finally right for the musicians?

Uncertainty that has clouded prospect of a common front for the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria, PMAN, may soon be a thing of the past as the music house is set to finally come together and hold its national elections come January 31, this year.

Speaking at the Lagos State Chapter of PMAN’s monthly meeting held at the state secretariat, Sir Kareem Olomide Osoba, Governor General of PMAN, Lagos State Chapter, stated that the consensus on the election was reached through the intervention of the Minister for Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige. 

According to Sir Osoba, the minister constituted a caretaker committee to organise a credible election, thereby rendering null and void any other elections as far as PMAN at the national level is concerned.

Governor General of PMAN then appealed to all members to come together and work toward the realisation of a more formidable front for the association. 

Sir Kareem Osoba

“Since the federal government has intervened in the problems facing PMAN,” Sir Osoba said, “and Dr. Ngige has constituted a caretaker committee to organise elections on January 31, it is therefore important for members to abide by this to resolve the age long crises in the PMAN.”

He pointedly asked Pretty Okafor, a factional president of the association to obey the law and submit himself for the elections. In his words, “I hereby use this opportunity to appeal to Pretty Okafor to abide by what the majority put their interests on. And unless he picks up the form to contest in the coming election in Abuja, Lagos Chapter of PMAN doesn’t recognise him as president.”

He, however, encouraged members to pick up their nomination forms as Lagos State Chapter of PMAN has no preferred candidates but would only support whoever is ready to work for the progress of the association both at the state and national levels. 

The meeting which was well attended by members and journalists had the likes of Chief Fruitful Mekwunye and Yinka Best, amongst others, declaring for the posts of president and first vice president respectively in the coming elections.