ONCE upon a Performing Musicians and Mechanical Association of Nigeria called PMAN. Once upon her, a chic and suitor of many who desired her for a date, until their vaulting ambition led to marriage, and they wanted to possess her forever. Perhaps this analogy abuses the personality of PMAN as a lady that is inclined to several suitors, but you will understand that, as a wife to the music family, other counterparts in the entertainment industry had wished for same her beauty, her peace, her elegance and celebrity status.
However, as a luxury ride, PMAN desired some drivers to take its lots to some enviable destination. The drivers were supposed to be servant leaders, but they turned reckless rulers. Intoxicated by being in the front seat of a posh car, cheered by passersby, they changed batons at each accident spots rather than at bus stops. Thus, the journey has been slow and the destination remains far from focus.
This metaphor explains the crisis of leadership that has bedeviled PMAN over the years. But it appears that some of these drivers, today, are sober. And having seen the extent of damage, they desire to refurbish this glorious ride that is their union, and put it back on the path of its lost glory.
Frantic efforts are ongoing, and this is commendable. The gist, if you care to know, is that, some members have initiated what they called ‘PMAN Peace Initiative Committee. The movement is being coordinated by Chris Mba, with the full support of other members like Mike Okri, Gloria Ibru, Fatai Rolling Dollars, Desmond Effiong and Orits Wiliki among others.
I dare say that initiating a group is not a big deal; what is most important is the genuineness of purpose and pragmatic measures that have been designed to tackle whatever has been identified as the problem.
Spending about two hours with the group last Tuesday, I could tell that some level of seriousness has been put into their desire to resuscitate PMAN. It was therefore not surprising that they have tagged their group the ‘PMAN Peace Initiative Committee’. In essence, they recognise that the first step towards getting the troubled body back on its feet was to reconcile warring factions, agree on set agenda and bring the family together again through fresh elections. I was wowed by the scientific method expended by this group to authenticate their mission and give it a credible face.
Going from one former leader of the union to another and pleading for support for resolution of crisis was commendable. Visiting the warring factions, the acclaimed presidents, state chairmen, asking them to sheath their swords was also praiseworthy. But collating their view points and bargaining their commitment to peaceful resolution by administering questionnaires was noble. And if indeed, like the spokesperson, Orits Wiliki said, the AIG was being intimated on the various steps taken, the group has also explored due process which is the best way to go.
Trust me, these guys feel the heat of a dysfunctional association, and are ready to give it their all. Listening to Wiliki, I could almost feel his pulse when he said: “Over the years, we have found many things wrong with the union. We have been bedeviled by leadership crisis and the benefits of belonging to a union are eluding us.” And without pretence, he said further, “We all share the blame for how PMAN got to where it is today, because if all of us played our roles by not neglecting PMAN, we wouldn’t see the union in the shambles that it is now.” So much for a people who have ‘nursed wounds’ from factional crisis, litigations and arrests.
Currently, there are three major factions of PMAN: Tee Mac, Predy Wise and Murphy, all claiming rights as president of the association. There are also multiple leaderships at the states level where more than one person is known to be claiming the Chairmanship seat.
As noble as the initiative for peace may be, it is a disappointment for some members of the association. Why? Because, like Lucifer, some people are born to thrive in controversy. However, since they say majority carries the vote, then 63 percent of members who, according to record are in support of a caretaker committee, pending the conduction of a fresh election is just the way to go.
I hear that Fuji musician, Murphy, who is also claiming to be president, is among the minority who chose something other than an interim government. Or how else can one describe a man who didn’t return his form, and was bent on conducting an election that was aborted by the police in Port Harcourt? My advice to Murphy is, like the elders would say, “he can continue to grow large teeth as long as he can keep building huge lips to cover the teeth.” But I bet he won’t, because the result of such larger than life mouth growth is that it makes one uglier, and a laughing stock for those who may have sang his praises when the going was good.
At the risk of sounding castigating, do those who chose the option of outright elections understand that all that the committee is out for is to clear the back log of animosity and chart a new course for its members? Do they know that the essence of the proposed new PMAN is to break down the boundaries that have created unhealthy factions? If you go into what is called fresh national elections without proper reconciliation, then the union will merely be marking time without matching. I reason with Wiliki when he said: “if we say we want to go for fresh elections, who then will the delegates be? Because Tee Mac for example is a faction who has his own delegates, Murphy has his own delegates, Predy Wise has his delegates too, and so does Dele Abiodun. So, it would be like giving credence to the division that already exists in the union.”
I hope that like the group promised, they will explore all options to ensure that peace returns to the union again. If this happens, I bet that the litigation being pursued currently by Tee Mac will be resolved out of court.
