The head of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Pretty Okafor, said that the late musician, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (also known as Mohbad), was not a member of the organization.
He emphasized that had he been a member, the dispute over his royalties with the former record label, Marlian Records, could have been resolved more smoothly.
Okafor provided this clarification during his appearance before a House of Representatives panel investigating Mohbad’s passing, specifically the accusations of harassment and unpaid royalties.
The PMAN leader expressed disappointment that many emerging musicians hadn’t recognized the advantages of joining the association, which could help resolve contractual disputes between artists and record labels.
He encouraged artists to actively participate in the union.
According to Mohbad’s attorney, prior to his client’s passing, there were certain agreements in place with Marlian Records that continue to be a matter of contention to this day.
His words: “Mohbad and Marlian Records had some arrangements, which I cannot term as a record label agreement yet, and this is subject to litigation currently. While he worked with them in some sense, he released an Extended Play (EP) and a number of singles.”
Currently, those songs are entangled in a legal dispute, and he was already in court dealing with this matter before his passing.
“Subsequently, sometime in October last year, he set up his own label, Imolenization Limited, and he released an EP, which he received the revenue for directly to himself, because he was the sole owner of the company. So on the EP, which is called Blessed, it is fully secure.”
The committee’s Chairman, Olumide Osoba, provided assurance that matters concerning the deceased musician’s royalties and rights will be addressed and settled.