Reps pledge to secure Mohbad’s royalties from Naira Marley’s record label
The House of Representatives on Wednesday assured the family of Mohbad of its commitment to secure proper compensation and royalties from his musical works.
Olumide Osoba, Chairman, House Committee on Justice, said this when the Copy Rights Commission appeared before it and the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria in Abuja.
The appearance was an interactive session on the rights and royalties related to the late singer’s music.
This is sequel to a motion of urgent public importance earlier moved by Babajimi Benson (APC-Lagos) to secure the royalties of Mohbad’s songs and lyrics.
Mr Osoba emphasised the significance of securing compensation and royalties, acknowledging that these payments were essential sources of income for musicians.
He said such would enable artists to sustain their careers, create new music, and build a future within the industry.
He, however, said that the current system often falls short in adequately protecting and providing for young musicians concerning their royalty rights.
He said many emerging artists face challenges when negotiating fair royalty agreements, particularly when dealing with major record labels.
He said this often wields significant power and could impose unfavourable terms, resulting in artists receiving only a fraction of the royalties they deserved.
He said, “It is crucial to recognise that young musicians are often not well-informed about their rights when entering into contracts.”
He said such a knowledge gap placed them at a disadvantage, as they might not fully grasp the complex legal intricacies surrounding royalty rights.
He said the responsibility was on society to bridge this gap and ensure that young musicians are aware of their rights and have access to legal support to protect their interests.
He said the committee had requested relevant information regarding the circumstances of Mohbad’s death and the measures in place to secure his royalties and other benefits.
This he said is with a deadline of next week to expedite their action on this assignment.
He said the committee also welcomes any other information or challenges hindering the implementation of the rights and royalties of musicians.
It would be recalled that Mohbad passed away on September 12 under mysterious circumstances.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Economy
Navy pledges to support oil-producing companies to increase output
Mr Abbas has pledged to support crude oil-producing companies in increasing Nigeria’s oil output and better protecting critical petroleum assets.
Anti-Corruption
Nigeria records gains against illicit finance, asset recovery: CISLAC
Nigeria has recorded significant progress in tackling illicit financial flows, recovering assets and strengthening anti-money laundering enforcement, CISLAC says.
Africa
Nigeria says financing key to realising Africa’s development aims
The Nigerian government has said funding gaps remain an impediment to sustaining growth, with available resources used to service debt to the detriment of other development needs.
World
Palestinian leader Abbas rebukes U.S. visa denial to UNGA, accuses Israel of genocide
“For how long will some states continue to remain silent about Israel, or supply it with the weapons it uses against our people?” said Mr Abbas.
Africa
‘No race superior, no nation inferior,’ says Ghana’s Mahama as Africa seeks ‘equal partnership’
“Some cautioned that we were reopening old wounds. We came to seek healing. Africa does not seek charity. Africa seeks equal partnership,” Mr Mahama stated.
Economy
Nigeria calls for debt relief, fairer global financial architecture
The Nigerian government has called for debt relief for developing countries and urged the restructuring of the global financial architecture to promote greater fairness.
