Pretty Okafor's story of forgery runs like a movie thriller, yet it’s absolutely real. Two important personalities in the Nigerian entertainment scene, veteran musician and founder of The Creative Industry Group. Felix Duke, and his colleague, Pretty Okafor the President of the Performing Musician Association of Nigeria, PMAN have been in a battle over the ownership of the Creative Industry Group.
The Creative Industry Group is a body that encompasses every creative mind in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Duke had earlier noted in a disclaimer sent to Sunday Scoop that Okafor, “has flagrantly and without caution, paraded himself as the founder and owner of the Creative Industry Group” and demanded that Okafor desist from such action.
The disclaimer reads in part, “Due to the continuous violation of the law and misrepresentation of facts, we have found it necessary to set the record straight. The Creative Industry Group is a registered organisation that also has its trademark name registered at the Ministry of Trade and Investment. This was done under the astute leadership of Mr Felix Duke Osagie and has since been under his well guided leadership.
“Recently, it has come to our knowledge that Mr Pretty Okafor has been parading himself and fabricating lies on social media and media that he is the founder and leader of the Creative Industry Group by passing off intellectual properties, unlawful conversion and infringement on trademark, which are false and misleading to the government and public at large.’’
Duke made it clear that he was the founder of the group and that Okafor was not a member of the CIG.
However, the PMAN President countered Duke’s allegation, saying, “Before you do a trademark, you need to document and do a patent to the idea plus the name, and that was done in 2016. At what point did Felix own it? We created this thing since 2016 and it is what we went to the floor of the National Assembly with; when PMAN went to the floor of the National Assembly to present a bill. That was the same name we used, PMAN and the Creative Industry Group.
In a recent development Felix Duke hinted journalists about how the Federal Ministry of industry, Trade and Investment exposed Pretty Okafor's forged documents . His words; "Pretty Okafor has been a pain in the neck in the creative industry, he has been a big problem, he is not doing anything. He has been fighting in PMAN and he has achieved nothing than fighting everybody. He has stayed there for 8years now instead of two years and yet he has not achieved anything.
"Anytime his time expires he goes to court and bring problem and use court to get judgement that's the tactics he uses to remain in power. He has not been able to do anything in power as the PMAN president, and he has jumped to creative industry group, claiming that he created the organisation, registered and trademarked it. This man has been parading our partners and Lagos State Government with fake trademark telling them not to work with us.
"So we took the bull by the horn by writing a petition to the Federal Ministry Of Trademark that we want to know if he was registered because we already did our findings and discovered that the number on his trademark belongs to another company, one Waya Limited. So we wanted the Ministry Of Trademark to investigate and give us a report. Now they have confirmed to us that Pretty Okafor has been perambulating with a fake document and we are set to institute an action against him in court.
"I'm so surprised that he could be so bold to forge government documents all in the name of claiming ownership over what does not rightfully belong to him and to destroy what we have built over the years. We are not taking this politely and we are sounding a warning to those working with Pretty Okafor in respect of creative industry group. If you work with Pretty Okafor or you support him in any way, you do that at your own risk because we will come after you. You will be included in the suit, that is my take." He concluded.
Below is the letter from the Federal Ministry Of Industry, Trade & Investment confirming that Pretty Okafor, PMAN president has been galivanting with a forged document.
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