FORMER president of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Bond Emeruwa on Tuesday emerged the new president of the Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) at the body’s maiden Annual General Meeting held at Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Lagos.
Emeruwa, Chair of the Coalition of Nollywood Guilds and Associations (CONGA) from 2010 to 2013, defeated pioneer chairman of the nation’s first and only Collective Management Organization (CMO) for cinematographic work, Mahmood Ali-Balogun to emerge the new chairman.
He polled nine of the 15 directors’ votes while Ali-Balogun got six. Norbert Ajaegbu and Prince Jide Kosoko, two of the new 15 directors who had earlier emerged during the first ballot, nominated the two aspirants for the chairmanship.
The 15 new directors that emerged after the first round of voting from the 264 members present at the AGM were: Jide Kosoko, Lilian Amah-Aluko, Fidelis Duker, Ahmed Sarari , Emmanuel Isikaku , Sanni Muazu , Bond Emeruwa, Paul Okoli , Chico Ejiro, Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Olurotimi Aina-Kushoro, Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, Anthony Anih , Norbert Ajaegbu and Peddie Okao.
With the new executive in place, players expect the AVRS which in the last one year has embarked on series of stakeholders meetings across the country with a view to enlightening stakeholders in the film industry on the purpose, nature and operations of the new CMO, to start issuing licenses for use of audio visual works.