Ruggedman Urges Musicians To Support PMAN's Ongoing Reforms

A renowned musician, Michael Ugochukwu, popularly known as "Ruggedman", has appealed to the nation's musicians, to support the Performing Musicians Employers' Association of Nigeria (PMAN) as it seeks to reposition the industry.

Ugochukwu, who is CEO of Rugged Records, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that the programme would improve the lot of the nation's entertainers.

He said that PMAN had entered into a viable partnership with reputable firms like, Microsoft, Airtel, GS3, and others to fight the pirating of their intellectual works.

The musician also urged entertainers, who broke away from PMAN, due to one grievance or the other, to come back to the fold because there was now a better structure in place.

"Lots of musicians have pulled out from the entertainment industry and I cannot blame them.

"The industry before now could not sustain them because they lived mainly from the proceeds of their works.

"We are grateful today because the new PMAN leadership has made it possible for our songs to be accessed, through the biometric cards which are connected to the banks", the rapper said.

He noted that the most interesting aspect of the ongoing reform was the life insurance, health and pension scheme that would effectively meet the needs of entertainers.

He stressed that in due course, those that left PMAN in the past because of certain disagreements, would return on their own volition because of the ongoing reforms.

The incumbent president of PMAN is Pretty Okafor of the Junior and Pretty fame.