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RCCG, popular Kunle Ajayi faces litigation over alledged piracy
One Akande Akinbode Emmanuel who dropped an album, Ungrateful, in 2005 which comprises a song, I’ll Never Be Ungrateful, popular among members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has charged the Church’s mas choir and its leader, Kunle Ajayi to court.
According to reports, when Akande released the album in 2005, he did not register it for copyright under the Nigerian Copyright Commission. But in 2016 when his boss attended an event where he played one of his songs, someone commented that the song was from the RCCG National Praise Team. His manager told the person the song belonged to his artiste. On further investigations, his boss found out the RCCG Praise Team had used the song in their album ‘Ancient of Days’.
The next day, Akande bought the CD and listened to it. He confirmed that his song, I’ll Never Be Ungrateful, was used in the album without his permission or an acknowledgement. He rushed to NCC and placed a copyright license under his album, which had four tracks, of which the first track was the song I’ll Never Be Ungrateful.’
Akande, an Assistant Provincial music director at RCCG, got a lawyer who wrote a letter to RCCG National Praise Team. His lawyer sent in his album, which included the jacket of the CD where Akande’s contact information and those he’d appreciated were listed.
The letter fell on the desk of Pastor Kunle Ajayi, the Director of Music at RCCG. Ajayi called everyone acknowledged on Akande’s album talking to them about the issue at hand before he finally gave Akande a call asking that they see. Without informing his lawyer, Akande went to meet Ajayi at the Redeemed church and assured him that the matter would be dropped.
Akande told FIJ of how Ajayi said he had never seen a person like him and how, if the matter was really being dropped, they were going to be family friends. Ajayi then asked that an email be sent showing that the case of copyright infringement was being dropped.
“Ajayi told me that for him to be convinced we are family friends, I should pick any Holy Ghost service, a platform many people had been disturbing him for, and perform there,” he said.
Akande promised to think about it.“Before everything changed, Kunle Ajayi could call me around three times in a day,” he recalled.
Kunle called to follow up on Akande’s decision on when he would come to perform at the Holy Ghost service. Akande picked March but was unable to attend. He postponed it to the June 2016 edition, themed ‘Victorious Praise’.
Akande transported his team to the RCCG camp and was given 15 minutes to perform. At camp, during offering, he was introduced as the original writer of the song ‘I’ll Never Be Ungrateful.’
It was months later that Akande heard that the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, had given a sum of N10 million to address the issue of the copyright infringement. Still, not a single kobo had gone into his pocket.
This led Akande to revisit his earlier position about dropping the case. If he was being cheated, he had to know. In a letter addressed to Pastor Adeboye, he wrote that he did not receive any money and wanted the matter investigated.
“I took that letter to the camp myself. The acknowledgment copy, I collected,” Akande told FIJ. The letter was not responded to by the office of the National Overseer and General Overseer.
Again, Akande wrote another letter but got no response. This made him suspect that something more that he was not privy to was going on. Another letter was written this time using the letterhead of his lawyer; it asked for a meeting with the General Overseer.
So, in 2019, Ajayi called Akande and requested to see him regarding the letter he had received — a request Akande totally refused to honour, unlike before. Ajayi would have to deal with his lawyer directly. On this issue, Akande was ready to fight to the last.
“Despite our several letters wherein we pointed out clearly the praise team’s unlawful and illegal copyright infringement for our client’s album/song track ‘I will never be ungrateful’, your office had failed/neglected to respond to this unlawful act,” the letter, written in January, partly read. A demand for N350 million was further made.
While Akande waits for a response to his letter, his determination to get justice continues to linger amid calls from various quarters for him to drop the case “as a member of the body of Christ”.
FIJ gave a call to Pastor Kunle Ajayi on Wednesday, but he didn’t pick. A message was sent to him asking for his comments but at the time of this report no response had been received.
Credit: (FIJ)
The Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has dismissed as baseless and diversionary, widespread rumours about his collapse and being rushed abroad for treatment.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, following a routine inspection of ongoing infrastructure projects slated for commissioning in May to commemorate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second anniversary in office, Barrister Wike categorically denied the claims, saying that they were untrue.
He attributed the spread of these rumours to political machinations, specifically pointing to those he alleged, sought to divert attention from serious allegations of planned attacks on national assets, including the Rivers State House of Assembly complex as revealed by a former Head of Service of Rivers State government.
He said, “What happened was that the former Head of Service of Rivers State government came out to let the public know what was going on about a plan to bomb the House of Assembly complex and attack national assets. To divert the attention of people from focusing on that, they had to bring up rumours that I had been flown overseas. There was never a time I collapsed, there was never a time anybody took me overseas”.
The Minister said he was focused on his job of providing good governance in the FCT and would not be distracted by such unfounded rumours.
Barr. Wike emphasized his continued public engagements, citing his presence at the President’s Iftar engagement and his leading of Abuja residents during the Sallah homage to the President as evidence of his robust health. “You see me every day. The day Mr. President broke Iftar during his birthday, I was there. The next day, I led Abuja residents to pay Sallah homage. I see so many stories online, this is politics. Those things don’t bother us. We are not distracted. We are focused on our jobs.”
He thanked Nigerians for their concern but cautioned against wishing ill health on others, reiterating that only God determines the time of one’s passing. “I thank Nigerians for showing concern, but people should not wish their fellow human beings such a thing to happen. We know that we will die one day, nobody will remain in this world forever, but it’s only God who determines the day you will die. No human being can say you will die today or tomorrow. So, don’t bother yourself, I’m very agile and I can assure you that I will write the condolence letters for those peddling these rumours.”
Speaking on the infrastructure projects he inspected, Barr. Wike expressed satisfaction with the progress of work at the International Conference Centre (ICC) renovation, the Arterial road N16 in Gishiri and its interchange connecting Maitama District to Katampe, and the Judges Quarters and its access roads in Katampe District.
He said, “We were at the International Conference Centre where much work has been done. They are keeping to the time that they have given and they are also doing a good quality job. We’ve gone to Gishiri and the roads leading to the Justices Quarters. I’m very much impressed with the good jobs and the contractors handling these projects. You can attest to the fact that this is a quality job being carried out”.
He commended the contractors, including Julius Berger and CGC, for their commitment to delivering the projects on schedule and assured that funding, with the support of President Tinubu, was not a challenge.
He encouraged taxpayers to fulfill their obligations, promising that they will witness the tangible results of their contributions. “All we will say is that those who are supposed to pay their taxes should pay their taxes, and ask us what we are doing with taxpayers’ money. They can see what we are doing with taxpayers’ money.”
The Supreme Court has sacked Julius Abure as National Chairman of the Labour Party in a ruling that was delivered on Friday in Abuja.
The judgment has put paid to a prolonged legal battle of the party. In a unanimous judgment, In a delivered by a five-member panel, held that the Court of Appeal had overstepped its jurisdiction when it declared Abure as the party’s leader.
The Supreme Court ruled that the issue of party leadership is an internal affair beyond the jurisdiction of the courts, thereby overturning the lower court’s ruling. This decision has significant implications for the Labour Party, which has been embroiled in leadership tussles in recent months.
The judgment came after an appeal filed by Senator Nenadi Usman and another appellant, challenging Abure’s claim to the chairmanship. The court found their appeal meritorious and accordingly upheld it, solidifying the legal stance that party leadership disputes should be settled within party structures rather than through litigation.
In a further blow to Abure’s camp, the Supreme Court dismissed a cross-appeal filed by his faction of the Labour Party, describing it as lacking merit.
With this ruling, the legal battles surrounding the leadership of the Labour Party may have reached their final chapter, barring any internal resolutions or new legal maneuvers by the affected parties.
The verdict has sparked reactions from political analysts and party stakeholders, with some expressing concerns over the stability of the Labour Party ahead of the next electoral cycle. The party, which emerged as a formidable force in the 2023 general elections, now faces the challenge of reorganizing its leadership and uniting its members.
While the ruling may settle the legal aspect of the dispute, the political ramifications are far from over.
Party members and loyalists of Abure may seek internal resolutions or political realignments to navigate the fallout of this decision. The Labour Party’s next steps will be crucial in determining its future strength and cohesion on the national stage.
As of press time, Abure’s camp has not issued an official statement on the ruling, while other factions within the party have welcomed the decision, calling it a victory for internal democracy.
In a landmark ruling today, the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a judgment that has been hailed as a significant victory not only for the Labour Party (LP) but also for Nigeria’s democracy. The ruling, which saw the removal of Mr. Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, is widely regarded as a triumph of democracy, the rule of law, and the resilience of Nigeria’s judicial system.
The statement celebrating the historic judgment was issued by the Labour Party National Caretaker Committee Secretary, Sen. Darlington Nwokocha who was present at the Supreme Court in Abuja during the judgment. The Secretary expressed immense gratitude to the Justices of the Supreme Court for their fair and forthright decision, which was described as a beacon of hope for the country’s democracy.
“This ruling is a monumental victory for the Labour Party and, more importantly, for the future of Nigeria’s democracy,” said the Secretary. “It demonstrates that the Judiciary remains the last hope for the common man, ensuring that justice and the rule of law prevail in the face of challenges.”
The Labour Party National Caretaker Committee (LP NCC) emphasized that the judgment is a clear indication that despite the struggles Nigeria faces, the nation’s democracy is resilient, and the judicial system remains a pillar of strength. It is also seen as a crucial step towards unifying the party and fostering an environment conducive to political reform and nation-building.
“This historic ruling is not only a victory for the Labour Party, but also for the Nigerian people and our democracy. It affirms that the rule of law will always be upheld,” the statement continued. “We now have an opportunity to rebuild Nigeria’s democracy and strengthen our party, which remains the political party of choice for millions of Nigerians.”
The Labour Party extended a call to all Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliation, to unite with the party in its efforts to restore and rebuild the nation’s democracy. “We call on all Nigerians to join hands with the Labour Party in the mission to restore the true values of democracy, justice, and equity in Nigeria,” the statement urged.
The judgment is being seen as a significant milestone not only for the Labour Party but for the entire nation, as it underscores the importance of a free, fair, and independent judiciary in maintaining democratic principles. The ruling have now firmly brought to an end the perennial leadership crisis within the Labour Party, enabling it to focus more effectively on its agenda for a better Nigeria.
The Labour Party also took this moment to express their deep appreciation to their supporters for their unwavering dedication and solidarity. “We thank Nigerians for their resilience, support, and trust in our cause. The Labour Party remains the people’s party, and together, we will continue to fight for a more just, equitable, and prosperous Nigeria,” the Secretary concluded.
As the Labour Party moves forward, it is committed to uniting its members and supporters to build a Nigeria free from oppression, where justice and fairness are upheld for all. The Supreme Court’s ruling today serves as a powerful reminder that in Nigeria, the law is supreme, and democracy will always triumph.
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