PMAN Crisis: I apologise to my colleagues for supporting Pretty Okafor — Aguike

The US-based Nigerian musician, Emma Aguike, a.k.a Allah Bama, a well-known supporter of Pretty Okafor, president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), has apologised for supporting the latter for wrong reasons.

Aguike claimed that he was not adequately informed about the lingering issue in the union before defending the Okafor-led leadership of the musicians’ body.

In a statement made available to media, Aguike recanted his assumptions on the issue. This statement comes months after PMAN’s National Working Committee (NWC), including notable figures such as Sunny Neji, Zaaki Azzay, Michael Stephen Ruggedman, and JFO Baba Ojonorgua, announced Okafor’s suspension.

The decision was based on alleged violations of the union’s Constitution, financial misappropriation, and other offences. Subsequently, these NWC members were also suspended by the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) for misconduct and efforts to undermine the integrity of the organisation.

The statement read in parts: “I would like to apologize to all my colleagues for supporting Pretty Okafor for two months. When I was added to PMAN’s Elder Forum, PMAN’s Peace Forum, and PMAN’s Stakeholders group, I was not adequately informed about the various issues at hand. The individual who added me did not provide any debriefing.

“Upon starting to read various posts, I assumed there was a concerted effort to undermine Pretty Okafor. I left these groups several times because those who had added me never took the time to explain the situation. The discussions in the forums mainly revolved around accusations of disrespect towards PMAN’s founders by Pretty Okafor and allegations that he refused to engage in meetings. I learned that he had walked out of a meeting with some respected members of PMAN. I thought I could facilitate a meeting between him and the concerned members. Little did I realize the situation was far more complicated than I had been led to believe.

“To get a clearer picture of what was happening, I spoke with Brown Bread, who detailed several achievements he attributed to Pretty Okafor. I learned about how he secured a secretariat for PMAN, which made me genuinely happy. I was also shown a pamphlet featuring radio equipment. Encouraged by this information, I began to defend Pretty Okafor against his critics, insisting that they recognize his accomplishments.

“The first and last time I encountered Pretty Okafor was during an interview conducted by the late Levi Ajuanumo at Ray Power, where Pretty and the late Junior served as his hype men. After seeing numerous posts criticising him, I felt it was important for him to be included on these platforms to defend himself. However, I was informed that he had declined to participate. After obtaining his number, I called him, and we immediately began discussing PMAN. We reminisced about our last meeting, and I praised him for his efforts in helping PMAN secure a secretariat. I commended his dedication; I was unaware of Sunny Neji and the entire members of the NWC. In fact, I had lost interest in PMAN over the past 20 years. I even advised him to take advantage of any opportunities that came his way, as I believed he was the Messiah PMAN had been waiting for.

“Pretty Okafor spoke passionately about his vision for the organisation, and I felt uplifted. However, as I fervently defended him in various discussions, I began receiving feedback from others. Some accused me of being overly enthusiastic and disconnected from the reality of the situation. I insisted that he be added to the group, feeling frustrated that he was consistently being criticised.

“Tee Mac expressed indignation, saying he would leave the group if Pretty Okafor was added. I privately contacted one guy named Bishop to let him know I couldn’t remain in a group where Pretty Okafor was frequently attacked. I also advised Atta-Boy, a friend since the 90s, to stop sending me messages related to PMAN. At one point, I nearly blocked Dr. Zimakoy because of the hostility aimed at Pretty Okafor. Prominent Nigerian musicians warned me that associating with him could damage my reputation, but I chose to ignore their advice.

“As I defended Pretty Okafor on a daily basis, I was unaware that he was facing issues with Sunny Neji, Zaaki Azzay, and others. I mistakenly thought that the discussions primarily revolved around the question of who originally leased one acre out of the three acres granted to Nigerian musicians.”

Due to time constraints that prevented me from visiting these platforms regularly, I believed I was doing the right thing by supporting a man who had accomplished what previous PMAN Presidents could not.
Honestly, I thought Pretty Okafor had purchased the secretariat using his own funds. In our conversations, he presented himself as leading a new PMAN where the old members had no role or opportunity for engagement.”