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Author demands additional payment for 1.3m copies in JAMB’s possession, faults publisher’s claims

By Ujunwa Atueyi
30 March 2017   |   3:30 am
Mohammed has accused the Cassava Republic Press and JAMB of conniving to violate his copyrights. His book was in 2014 accepted by JAMB as the official handbook for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates in the Use of English.

As the controversy between the author of Last Days at Forcados High School, Dr. Ayobami Mohammed; its publishing firm, Cassava Republic and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), deepens, with each party defending its positions on the issue, Mohammed has demanded for additional payment for the 1.3 million copies in JAMB’s possession.

Mohammed has accused the Cassava Republic Press and JAMB of conniving to violate his copyrights. His book was in 2014 accepted by JAMB as the official handbook for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates in the Use of English.

But due to the ongoing royalty feud between the author and the publisher, JAMB had two weeks ago announced a new book to be used for UTME candidates. But it also in addition, announced the contentious book for use by Direct Entry students.

As the author brought the issue to the public domain last week, querying and describing JAMB’s decision to use his book for Direct Entry candidates without his consent as a breach of contract, the board in its response told The Guardian, that “the book we are using for Direct Entry candidates is the old copies we have in stock, about 1.3 million books we purchased last year.”

This revelation by JAMB has however, prompted Mohammed through his lawyer, Mr. Rasheed Fatoki, to request from the publisher additional payment of the 1.3million copies in JAMB’s possession coupled with the outstanding 2016 royalty.

Mohammed also refuted claims that he was in any official arbitration process with the publisher, as arbitration involves the consent of two parties.

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