Ban importation of CDs, Toju Ejueyitchie urges FG

For the Managing Director of Premier Records Limited, Mr. Toju Ejueyitchie, piracy is a cankerworm that must be eradicated if the music industry must grow.

The recording company boss has therefore urged the Federal Government to ban the importation of music and video compact discs as a major step towards uprooting piracy.

He says: “Government should ban the importation of music CDs and VCDs so that the level of piracy is reduced and the local industry protected and given an opportunity to grow.”

According to Ejueyitchie, who has been a top player in the industry for over a decade, virtually all the CDs and VCDs imported into the country are pirated: “They are either imported in containers from the Far East or flown in smaller quantities from the same locations mainly Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan etc.”

Ejueyitchie concludes thus: “With the establishment of CD and VCD factories in Nigeria, it is important that this fledgling industry is protected so that jobs are guaranteed for Nigerians. The installed capacity, which is being increased, can easily satisfy the needs of the local music/film industry.”

Meanwhile, Premier Records has sounded a note of warning to “certain persons” who are in the process of, and, or already producing and marketing their musical works without permission to desist from the act.

According to the company's solicitors, Samuel N. Agweh & Associates, the affected works belong to highlife icon, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe. He declares: “Any unauthorised production, and, or sales of these works in any manner whatsoever, be it on records, cassettes, CDs, VCDs, DVDs etc constitutes an infringement of the copyrights of Premier Records Limited.”