Home Video People May 28, 2010 A battle line is sure to be drawnbetween two notable movie producers, Charles Uche Ayika, producer of “Arrows of Love’ Part 1 & 2″,and Mr. Godson Uzor Nwaosu, CEO Guniks Investment Nigeria Limited, over an alleged parting with the screening rights of the former’s movies without his consent.

Ayika recently raised an alarm, alleging an infringement on his copyright by an Abuja based MYTV, owners of TV Africa Channel 37, a situation where he wants the TV station to pay him a huge sum of N5million as the costs incurred while producing the movies and other exigencies involved. He denied contracting any agent to sell the screening rights of the movies to MYTV and TV Africa Channel 37.

But in a swift reaction, Mr. Nwaosu, said to be the brain behind the deal, has faulted Ayika’s claim, describing it as “untrue, misleading and destructive”, adding that Ayika is only a gold digger whose movies were not pirated as there were documents and evidence to back up the said transaction.

According to Nwaosu, who has produced many films to his credit, “I will stop at nothing to see to the end of this case. I will surely return fire for fire.”

Ayika, he alleged, was aware of the selling of the screening rights of his movies to the television station as against his current claim that he was ignorant of it. “Through Ayika’s agent, Mr. Ibiam Romanus Eze, I was able to contract MYTV to screen the movies and he was duly paid for the deal. Mr. Ayika authorised his agent, Mr. Eze, to sell the screening rights when he surrendered a copy of the censors certificate/Approval of his “Arrows of Love” movie to him.”

“I was shocked when he wrote a letter to the CEO of MYTV through his lawyer with a caption ‘Unauthorised transmission and use of Arrows of Love part 1& 2 in TV Africa channel 37’. The company, responding, expressed disappointment and embarrassment by that letter, and out of safeguarding their corporate interest, cancelled the contract,” he narrated to HVP last week.
Nwaosu also wants Ayika to pay him a huge sum of N8m as loss of damages and profits caused to him for the contract which was cancelled by the television station.

Declaring a war against Ayika, Nwosu said, “I’m prepared to go to court with Ayika over this matter, and I will be strongly behind MYTV any time the trial begins.”

Ibiam Romanus Eze, who was accused of selling the screening rights to Mr Nwaosu, in a telephone chat, affirmed that he was Ayika’s agent, as he, Ayika, authorised him to sell the screening rights to CEO of Guniks Investment, who later sold the same to MYTV for a fee that was paid into his account with First Bank Plc and dated July 3, 2009. Perhaps, there is really need for stakeholders to intervene and arrest the ugly trend.