Since we exclusively broke to you the details of a January botched performance engagement of Ginjah master- Terry G, at the University of Benin, many weeks back, a lot more development have occurred. Chief among this is the fact that the Student Union Government (SUG) of the University of Benin (UniBen), through their lawyers, are demanding for N20m as damages from the artiste.
Spokesman for the institution’s SUG, Cyril Emiko, the same who booked the performance at Terry’s Lagos office and acted as Welfare
Officer of the union (he’s now graduated), has been in the forefront of negotiations with the producer cum singer. Cyril, together with some colleagues, dragged the singer and his management to the Police Force Headquarters in Lagos when Terry allegedly refused to refund the N500, 000 advance payment made for the January performance.
But unknown to many, Terry G had refunded a sizeable amount of the money in question to the organisers.
Terry told Showtime that “On March 29, I paid in N400, 000 at the GTBank, Ogba into TNT Limited’s account. That was the account name that I was told to pay into”. “And when I was summoned to the Force Headquarters I went with another N100, 000 hoping to balance them (the aggrieved union) once and for all”, that was on the 13th of April.
According to Terry G, when they (together with his manager and P.A) got to the Police Headquarters, he got more than he bargained for.
He, in the presence of the police PRO, Supt Frank Mba, agreed upon negotiation to pay the sum of N 1,174, 000 for expenses and losses incurred by the botched show organisers. On the spot, he paid the N100, 000, he had brought along and gave his word to pay up the balance.
On the 20th of April, a sum of N774, 000 being balance was paid into a First Bank Account (Fagba Branch) with number, 6163060000028 and titled, Emiko A. Cyril with Teller No 3320666.
The singer said he was convinced by Cyril who came to his office and personally walked down his (Terry’s) Personal Assistant, to the bank to ensure that the payment was made into his private account.
Terry alleged that Cyril said there was no need getting the police involved in paying the balance since there wasn’t any form of disagreement.
About a week later, Terry was allegedly served a letter from a law firm in respect of their client – the Student Union Government of University of Benin.
The letter addressed the supposedly settled matter and asked for a N20m payment for damages and also requested that the singer performed a free show at the University as a way of compensating organisers.
The latter condition, was allegedly raised at the Police meeting and to which, Terry claims that the police PRO negated such possibility for reasons bordering on the singer’s security.
According to both parties (the Union’s rep and Terry G), another condition raised and agreed on at the Police Headquarters was that the singer should apologise to the University community in the mass media.
The singer has since showed compliance by calling a press conference comprising a number of electronic and print media in Ikeja, on Wednesday (28th April) and addressed the matter.
In reaction to the new claim by the SUG, a senior Police source described it as “illegal” and “subjecting the boy to forced labour”.
He goes further to say that, “since there was no written agreement prior to the initial engagement, the Emikos or SUG have no right to bill Terry G N20m for whatever reasons and any additional request made apart from the ones agreed in my office should be subjected to court scrutiny”. Subsequently the artiste has drawn the attention of his lawyers to the case.
Contacted on the phone, Terry G’s lawyer, Dare Falana of the Femi Falana Chambers re- echoed the Police spokesman’s statement stating that the Students Union Government of the University of Benin has no legal right to usurp the powers of the court.
“In a matter like this, only the law courts can declare if any money should be paid to anyone on a matter where an agreement is reached verbally. Let them go to court and we’d meet them there”, he declared.
Mr Gabriel Amani aka Terry G was contacted to perform at the UniBen Terry G Invasion 1 billed to take place on January 29th this year.
An advance fee of N500, 000 was paid on the 23rd of same month, to the artiste and hotel accommodations and flight ticket for five persons were allegedly procured him and his travel party’s comfort. For reasons best known to Terry G, he cancelled the engagement without a word to the organisers.
Talk between both parties broke down and the matter was taken to the Force Headquarters where an agreement was reached that Terry made a refund of N1, 174, 000 for damages and expenses incurred by the SUG for the disappointment. Naeto C, Jimmy Jatt and Slizzy E were billed to perform at the same show.
