Music

New PMAN President, Hon. Keston Okoro Sues For Peace

After a keenly contested presidential election at the Nanet Suite, Abuja last month which saw to the emergence of former Delta State lawmaker, Hon. Keston Okoro as president of the largest musicians’ body in Africa, the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria, PMAN, the new president has already hit the ground running.

And the good news is, he has the overwhelming support of all stakeholders in the industry including former presidents of the body as well as government and the corporate world as exhibited recently at the first meeting held at O’jez Restaurant in Lagos.

Okoro defeated millionaire musician Chief Fruitful Mekunye after the two main contestants tied 31 votes apiece out of the 61 accredited delegates from all the state chapters of the artistes’ body.

Faced with a knotty situation, the delegates then agreed that another election be held and the outcome was not different from first.

So it was finally agreed that the winner be decided with a toss of the coin and that was how Hon. Okoro emerged the new PMAN president.

He was promptly congratulated by his opponent in a rare display of sportsmanship.

Okoro was immediately sworn-in as president according to the dictates of the PMAN constitution in the early hours of Wednesday.

In his acceptance speech, the former lawmaker called on all to work together to make PMAN great again as “we have no other association but PMAN.”

He decried the years of disunity in the artistes’ body assuring that his emergence has put an end to that.

“This is the first time in many years that we have delegates from all state chapters present at a PMAN election and they all participated fully in the electoral process. I thank you all and I urge everyone to sheathe their swords and let us work together as one body, in unity and strength. You all made it possible for me to become president, so this government is for everybody. If I make any mistake, don’t hesitate to call my attention to it as I am not a perfect person, none of us are.”

Meanwhile, at the stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos attended by former president Tee Mac and all the newly elected executive as well as veterans including Orits Wiliki who all pledged their support for the new executive and promised to work together with it.

Among those that witnessed the election was representative of the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige; Mr. Godson Ogbuji, an Assistant Director in the ministry; the Registrar of Trade Unions, Mrs Mbaogu; Hon. Uchenna Ekwe who represented the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC; Mrs. Julie Coker, veteran broadcaster; highlife maestro Chief Ozor Morocco NwaMaduka and Chief Dan Sach of the Oriental Brothers among others.

Funsho Arogundade