Paulina
Pretty Okafor has been re-elected as the president of the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN). He was announced as the winner during the PMAN’s national conference in Lagos, receiving a total of 50 votes. Other members of the association’s executive committee were also re-elected. Okafor initially did not want to re-contest, but changed his mind due to pressure from state chapters. In addition, Aralola Olamuyiwa, aka Ara, was sworn in as the new PMAN Governor for Lagos State. Okafor also addressed the reluctance of young artists to join PMAN, citing concerns of authority and lack of support in times of crisis.
Veteran singer, Pretty Okafor, was re-elected as the president of the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria on Tuesday. He first took office in October 2016.
Okafor, who ran unopposed, received a total of 50 votes and was declared the winner by the electoral chairman during the PMAN’s national conference in Lagos State.
Other re-elected officials include Sunny Neji as 1st Vice-President, Zaaki Azzay as 2nd Vice-President, Michael Stevens (Ruggedman) as Chairman of the Media Committee ex-officio, and Boniface Itodo (Aitabonny) as General Secretary.
In his acceptance speech, Okafor revealed that he initially did not want to run for re-election. However, five state chapters purchased a form for him and insisted that he continue in his position for another term.
He stated, “The pressure to run became an issue because my business is growing, and I need more time to focus on it. But when I saw members practically fighting each other to convince me to run again, I decided to prioritize the interests of PMAN over my own. During the election, the state chapter chairmen literally dragged me into the hall, with some even in tears, and refused to sit down until I announced my decision to run for re-election.”
Similarly, singer and talking drummer, Aralola Olamuyiwa, aka Ara, was sworn in as the new PMAN Governor for Lagos State. She also received a certificate of return.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, Okafor addressed why some young artists are hesitant to join the association.
He said, “The younger generation of artists do not want to join PMAN because they believe it will exert authority over them. This is why the association cannot assist them in times of crisis. We cannot use members’ dues to support non-members.”
“As for our veteran members, we have programs in place to ensure their security even after retirement. Some of them receive royalties as members of the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria. For those who are 65 years old and above, they receive a monthly pension from PMAN,” Okafor added.
