The legal battle between Onyeka Owenu and Tony Okoroji, CEO of COSON Nigeria may have reached an end and seems to have favoured Mr Tony as the court has ordered Onyeka Onwenu to pay him N5m and tendere a public apology to be published on Vanguard Newspaper for defamation of character.
Chief Tony Okoroji, former President of PMAN and Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON)and Onyeka has been at war as far back as 2011 when Okoroji went to court following the publication of an article in the Vanguard newspaper edition of October 14, 2011 which he considered a deliberate attempt to malign or defame him.
Reacting to the judgment, a jubilant 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’.
He continues to say, ‘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.
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