By Chimaobi Nwaiwu
NNEWI—Over eight hundred members of Producers, Music Dealers and Artistes Association of Nigeria, PMDAAN, Anambra State branch yesterday protested against the Musical Products Dealers Association of Nigeria, MPDAN over an alleged attempt by the later to coerce the former to belong to their association, otherwise, they will be termed pirates.
While PMDAAN, operates at Electronics International Market Onitsha, EDAO, along Asaba Onitsha Enugu Expressway, MPDAN operates at Iweka Road Odoakpu, also in Onitsha.
The protesting PMDAAN who are mostly self employed men and women between the ages of 30 and 50 years did not carry placards but they chanted anti-MPDAN songs asking the Police to come and save them from the hands of their persecutors.
They claimed that the members of MPDAN who are seen to be more established and mostly old men in their 60s to 70s are trying to frustrate them out of business and want them to continue to remain their puppets in the business.
Addressing newsmen after their peaceful protest to register their displeasure over what they called MPDAN intimidation, harassment, attempt to coerce them to belong to their association even when they are not in the same market, President of PPMDAAN Chief Uzoma Ubaoha said that apart from forcing them to belong to their association, they also insisted that they will not sell their products in any market in Onitsha unless they join them.
“Another embarrassing and painful aspect of MPDAN unlawful and illegal activities is that they ordered our members to register their products (our musical works)with them and failure to do that, they will confiscate our members products.” when we have registered it in our own association and other relevant government agencies” he said.
Contacted, around 10.30am, the Chairman of Board of Trustees, BOT, of MPDAN, Prince Sir Osita Okeke Oguno denied all the allegations against them, he however, said he will react further after one hour as he was busy in his store.
He however, called for more clarifications on allegations against them.
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