PMAN Latest - Labour Ministry And Registrar Of Trade Unions Dissolves Pretty Okafor's Led Faction And Others

BAD TASTE FOR PMAN AS LABOUR MINISTRY & REGISTRAR OF TRADE UNIONS DISSOLVED PRETTY OKAFOR’S LED FACTION AND EVERY OTHER FACTION.

''The protracted leadership crisis which has been rocking the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) deepened over the week as factions of the association were dissolved by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity dissolved all warring factions on the 25^th of June at the reconciliation meeting chaired by the Permanent Secretary Dr. Clement Illoh, representing the Minister.

 The meeting took place at the conference room of the Minister in Abuja, in attendance were all the warring factions fully represented.

At the meeting the PS started by advising all parties to embrace peace by burying all their differences on this table today as the decision that will be arrived here today will be the final, he further said that the Minister has special interest in the union matter as the 12 years crisis has lingered for too long and they have all sorts of petition against the union on their table advising the union be proscribed, so the Minister has mandated them to wage into the crisis and bring it to an end once and so this reconciliation meeting.

 He expresses his joy as all the factions were present and it shows they all want peace.

After listening to comments from parties, he said he understands all and he will make sure it all ends today. He later handed over to the Mrs. C.C. Dike, Director, Department of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations who directly is in charge of all registered Trade unions in Nigeria to finalise the process of peace.

The Director did not waste time in concluding, as she said she won’t go into what, where, when and who is behind the crisis rocking the union as she has complete files of everyone and factions involved, how they became what and how they have performing, so because of that she will only entertaining contributions on what the solution should be.

She said the Ministry has 2 options, since the union has not been paying dues to the Trade Union for the past 9 years and millions has been stolen and the fact that no solution to all this crisis, its first option is to proscribe the union by scraping it, but for the intervention of the Minister they will not scrap it now but considered the other option which is to dissolve all factions and form a new caretaker committee..

This committee will consist of 5 members each drawn from all factions and 2 from the Ministry to monitor the processes of transition and their primary duty is to re organise state chapters who will form the National Executive Council that will emerge from the National Delegates Conference for a proper and credible Election.

She further stress quoting the laws of Federal Republic of Nigeria that guides the Trade Union and Labour Acts on courts that has rights of judgement over Union crisis, meaning every court judgement at such courts which she tagged criminal courts are not tenable in accordance to laws guiding unionism in Nigeria. So pretty Okafor’s led faction’s court judgement is void and so should please embrace peace by joining the new solution.

Of course it didn’t go down well with Pretty’s side as they claimed to have signed multi billion naira deals with Airtel and other corporate bodies on behalf of the union and initiated so many projects, so they are not ready to make all that go just like that. So they told the Director they will need time to go think about it and get back to them.

The very intelligent woman refuses after quoting laws and making them realised the power the Ministry has over the Union and that they will not wait again haven waited for 12 years, so she instructed them that the only time she is giving is for them to nominate their 5 representatives in 7 days.

At that point Pretty got angry and started explaining to the Director why he will not agree to the decision in a very harsh tone, he was supported by Sunny Neji. They both got up and walked out of the meeting followed by their members, Zakki, Felix Duke and the master minder, Kenny George.

The Director tried to make them understand but to no avail, so she told them to go as their exit won’t stop her from concluding and also told them that henceforth they should stop using the name of Pman for their businesses which if they fail to will end up being prosecuted.

She later concluded by dissolving the factions and ask each to submit their list on or before July 3^rd as she will inaugurates the committee next week amidst media attendance, this committee will usher in the new Pman Executives and the long lasting crisis will end and that the union will then be able to enjoy all the benefits of the Labour Ministry and that of the Trade Union.

Pretty Okafors faction of course did not heed to that instruction as they went ahead and signed a multi-billion naira deal as they call it with the Telecoms giant, Airtel Nigeria just a day or 2 after the meeting daring the Ministry, as if that was not enough disobedience, they also went back to the criminal court to sue the Ministry, Trade Union and all other factions in a suit accusing them of disturbing their activities.

The Ministry happens not be moved by this actions as they went ahead and issued a letter of conclusion on their stand to all factions informing them that they all have been dissolved.

The conclusion of the Ministry is to inaugurate s the new committee next week in Abuja at the office of the Minister as all names has been submitted.

Well we wish this will bring the solution we all have been asking and it will restore order, dignity and bring back the lost Glory of PMAN for the advanced Development of the Music Industry for a better environment for the Musicians and its stakeholders''.