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Momoh heads investigation panel on 50 cent, Eedris saga
By Richard Eghaghe,
And Chinemenma Madugba, Lagos
Former minister of information, Prince Tony Momoh has been
appointed to head an eight man investigative panel over the aborted
star-mega-jam concert organised by Nigerian Breweries PLC.
Other members of the panel include Rueben Abati, a veteran
Journalist and Chairman Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspapers, who is to
serve as secretary to the panel, George Dureke, president of MORAN, Frank
Odita, a former commissioner of police, and producer of the T.V programme,
‘Crime Watch’, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, a seasoned artist, Mr. Declan
Okpaleke, who is Deputy Editor-In-Chief of Insider Weekly. Comrade Denja Yakub,
activist and Assistant Secretary General of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)
and Human Rights lawyer and Activist, Festus Kayamo. Inaugurating the panel at
the National Secretariat of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria
(PMAN) in Ikeja, its president, Charles Emeka Oputa, remarked that the series of reports of shabby treatment
meted out to Nigerian artistes during public performances was a source of worry
to the body and its members can no longer fold their arms to allow Nigerian
musicians to be subjected to slavery in their own land.
According to him, “the event in the last few weeks was
rather unbecoming, and has gotten many Nigerian musicians thinking. Certain
clarifications must be done, if our reformations must be strong. Especially
when it affects the musicians directly or indirectly.”
He equally pointed out that the musicians’ body will
make sure that no Nigerian musician is short-changed in any organised concert
and pointed out that the gap between the earnings of foreign artistes and our
home based artistes must not be as shamefully glaring as it has been in the
past.”
Amongst the terms of reference of the committee are to
ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the 50 Cent Mega Jam
concert’s incident and to identify persons or group of persons or
organisation(s) responsible for the “national mishap and recommend
appropriate sanctions.
The panel, which have just four weeks to submit its report,
is also to recommend to the musicians’ body ways to forestall future
occurrence and any other recommendations dimmed fit by the committee
In his response, the Panel Chairman, Momoh affirmed the
determination of the committee to critically scrutinise every facts received by
the committee before making pronouncements and recommendations on them.
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