The dust is yet to settle on the alleged copyright infringement by Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, concerning the “Change Begins With Me” campaign recently launched by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The owner of the “Not in My Country,” project, Akin Fadeyi, has written to Mr. Buhari, claiming the idea behind the campaign originated from him and was taken from his project.
Adebayo Adenipekun, senior lawyer at the Afe Babalola Chambers, in a September 29 letter to the President, written on behalf of Mr. Fadeyi, dared Mr. Mohammed to make good his threat to sue Mr. Fadeyi.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the Afe Babalola Chambers had enough evidence to defend its client’s claim of being the originator of the initiative.
“Change Begins With Me” was launched on September 8 by the Federal Government amid fanfare as a campaign for attitudinal change among Nigerians.
The campaign was immediately dogged by allegations of copyright infringement, following reports that the idea was stolen from Mr. Fadeyi, who had earlier made a proposal to the Information Minister on a similar project.
Associates of Mr. Fadeyi had launched a media war against Mr. Mohammed, alleging that he stole the idea from Mr. Fadeyi, who had fully developed the campaign at the behest of the minister.
But the minister denied the allegations, asserting that he had been nursing the idea of “Change Begins With Me” long before he was appointed into office as Minister of Information.
In Mr. Adenipekun’s letter, hemaintained that the ‘Not in My Country’ anti-corruption campaign project was a product of Mr. Fadeyi’s lifelong vision to do something towards ridding the society of corruption.
“On this point alone, our client has the same goals as the present administration in tackling corruption effectively at the grassroots,” the letter read.
“Third, our client will not sacrifice this noblest of goals on the altar of claiming his personal individual rights, especially not in a way capable of being bastardized or confused with propaganda, among other distractions.
“That is not to say our client will not defend his work and hard-earned intellectual property rights in a court of competent jurisdiction at the appropriate time.
“Indeed, our client awaits Alhaji Lai Mohammed to make good his threats to sue him, in preparation for which he has instructed our law firm to commence the preparation of processes in answer to any summons filed against him.
“Without a doubt, when our client responds to any processes filed, his actions and motives will be clear and unmistakable.”
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