Minister Of Information, Lai Mohammed Accused of Stealing

The Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has accused Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture of plagiarizing a proposal that was presented to him under the name ‘Bar Coding Technology for the Creative Industry in Nigeria’ to organize a two-day conference on Creative Industry between July 17 and 18, 2017 in Lagos.

According to Ifeanyi Ejiofor, legal counsel to PMAN in a five –page petition written to the Minister, dated July 20, 2017, he the Minister to “desist forthwith from proceeding further the implementation of action plans or any item from the proposal pending when all issues arising from what it called manipulation of its original brainchild ideas and gross infringement on its intellectual property rights are resolved.
In the petition, the association said a delegation led by Pretty Okafor, its President made a presentation on August 5, 2016 to the Minister on how government will earn N10, 3trillion revenue in the creative industry if the proposal is implemented to the letter.

PMAN through its counsel said it was surprised when it received the news of a creative industry roundtable press conference held on July 10 at Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja where the Minister declared that a two day conference for the creative industry will hold in Lagos on July 17 and 18 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

It is accusing the Minister of intellectual theft of a 13-week action plan it proposed to him on August 18, 2016 to constitute Creative Economy Conference and Anti-Piracy Committee (APC).

See copies of the letter marked received on July 24, 2017 by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture below...