The Performing Musicians’ Employers’ Association of Nigeria ((PMAN) has received a copy of the proposed Bill for An Act to Repeal and Re-enact the Copyright Act 2021 from the Clerk of Senate Committee on Trade and Investments, following its protest for not being consulted or informed of the contents of the Bill.
Copies of the proposed Bill have been referred to appropriate organs and committees of PMAN to study and give informed opinion upon which PMAN would base its next line of action in conjunction with any other interested stakeholders in the creative industry.
It would be recalled that PMAN raised alarm on the apparent secrecy with which the Bill appeared to have gone through Second Reading at the floor of the Senate without any input from PMAN and other relevant stakeholders or even a public hearing.
Informed opinion on legislative processes’ watchers was that the Bill would have simply passed the third reading and passed into law had PMAN and other key stakeholders not protested the process.
PMAN reiterates its call to the National Assembly to make the processes of making new laws for Copyright and National Film and Video Censorship open to relevant stakeholders.
From PMAN’s initial study of the two Bills, we have discovered serious clash of interests, powers and functions between existing and proposed government regulatory agencies/commissions that would pose great dangers to whatever good intentions the Bills may have and the general interests of stakeholders.
PMAN, therefore, advises great caution in passing these two Bills.
Thank you,
Pretty Okafor
President.
5th June 2021
