“D’banj is beginning the year 2015 on a positive note with plans of his 10th year anniversary already in motion. In fact, the first leg is kicking off on January 31, 2015 with a party in Lagos tagged Feeling The Nigga Weekend.
However, the yet-to-be-addressed debt mess from the last quarter of 2014 continues to trail Bangalee, as he prefers to be called now. Recall hat NET exclusively broke the news in November 2014 that a top oil and gas industry player, Henry Ojogho, alleged that D’banj obtained a loan of over N60m from him in January 2013 and has not paid back the said sum despite signing an undertaking to do so.
All those thinking it was just a case of slander aimed at the Nigerian music superstar can now see the evidence in the matter. With the case filed in court with suit number: LD/ADR/445/14 with hearing expected to commence on Monday, January 26, 2015 at the Multi-door Courthouse in Obalende, Lagos with Justice Mrs Oyebanji as the presiding judge….” Thenet.ng has the full story.
Ms. Uduak’s Take
Nigerians and Africans generally, it is a new day and new age. This is not your parents generation. In this generation, expect to be sued when someone believes you have wronged them, especially if you are in the entertainment industry.
Whatever happens, there is one cardinal rule you should know and keep: YOU DO NOT RUN AWAY FROM YOUR PROBLEMS. FACE YOUR PROBLEMS. If you cannot face your problems, that is why God created lawyers. Lawyers are your advocate and by their nature, are trained to fight. What’s also good about lawyers is that they understand, given the nature of their jobs, that they are not in the business of being liked or to do “wayo wayo” style and hang out with your opponent. No. When they take on your case, they are about you, even if your opponent is the President of Nigeria.
Lawyers are there to redress the wrongs against their clients.
THEREFORE, if you have a legal problem DO NOT, under any circumstances, be caught running away from it. In the legal justice system, we do not like people who run away from their problems. If you do, we give an automatic victory to the Plaintiff who showed up, if the Plaintiff shows up. This is called a “default judgment.” If you are the Plaintiff who files the lawsuit and don’t show up to deal with your problems, we dismiss the case.
There are three types of lawyers. 1) Transactional lawyers: these lawyers focus on preventing the problem in the first place. They are the ones that draft your contracts, review, negotiate and close deals; 2) Litigation/Trial Lawyers: these lawyers defend you. Tell those trying to mess with you to fall back and strike just as hard a blow if not harder, through the court system, to make that trouble go away. Essentially, they put out the fires. They are the front line soldiers; 3) Transactional and trial lawyers: these lawyers do both the job of the transactional and trial lawyer.
I am a transactional and trial lawyer. I like to prevent fires from happening, and negotiate and close business deals. You all should get that sense with all my predictions here on AML and also our Music Business focus. I also LOVE to put out fires (Defense counsel) or start fires (Plaintiff’ counsel) which means I LOVE being in the courtroom. You should also get that sense with our legal drama. Gotta have the legal drama.
As to D’Banj’s case, this problem is easily resolved when D’Banj is ready to do so. As it appears, from everything we read last year to now, it seems like he is running away from his problems. This is because he is yet to show us his lawyer or have a strong public relations team shut these nonsense down. That’s his problem and when he is ready to face his reality, he will find a solution to it ASAP.
For you the AML artist, if you are faced with D’Banj’s situation here is what you need to know:
1. Hire a Lawyer.
2. Where can you find Nigerian Entertainment Lawyers? Click here to find where they are. Hint: It’s a group I started on Facebook with transactional and litigation lawyers. Go through the steps indicated so you can find and determine which trial/litigation lawyer works for you. At this stage, the case is in court so you will need a lawyer who can put out the fires and even start some if the other side wants to play tough. This is your trial lawyer.
3. Work with your Lawyer to either: a) negotiate a confidential settlement agreement with the other side. The other side has to agree to the settlement terms; or b) take the case all the way to trial. In Nigeria’s highly frustrating legal justice system, you are better off resolving the matter so you can move on with the business of entertainment.
Whatever you do, DO NOT IGNORE YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS. THEY DO NOT GO AWAY JUST BECA– USE YOU THINK, IN YOUR HEAD, THEY SHOULD.
As I indicated on the show below which you can listen to, we have even more lawsuits coming this year and I am looking forward to them.
Cheers,
Uduak
AML 030: (Panel Discussion) Music Business & Entertainment Law Panel: 2014 Highlights & 2015 Predictions!
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Photos below by TheNetng.net
Oga Titus, it's time to face the music.