Sate TV CEO alleges threat to business over N300m contract breach suit

Daodu Omoluku, CEO of Sate TV, a Lagos-based film production brand, has alleged threats to his business over a N300 million contract breach suit he filed against People’s TV.

A source close to the filmmaker disclosed this to TheCable Lifestyle on Friday.

The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, claimed that Tony Nwulu of People’s TV (PTV) in Abuja put a threat call to Omoluku ahead of the court case.

It was alleged that PTV aired a programme belonging to Sate TV for 27 more weeks, contrary to their pre-existing agreement that it should be broadcast for 13 weeks on profit-sharing basis.

“Sate TV had a contract with People’s Television in Abuja to the effect that People’s Television would air a sate television program for 13 weeks on profit sharing basis,” the source claimed.

“People’s Television without Sate TV permission aired the show for over 40 weeks.

“Every attempt by Sate TV to resolve breach of the contract hit a rock as People’s Television would not honor the invitation for mediation.

“Sate Television had no choice left but to approach the federal high court Abuja to seek redress. The CEO of People’s Television earlier this week put a threat call to the CEO of Sate Television.

“And information now has it that some men from the Nigeria police Abuja are tailing the CEO of Sate Television in the person of Daodu Omoluku Felix.”

N300m suit, profit-sharing discord, and ‘contract breach’

On September 23, Sate TV had filed a N300 million suit through the Remedium Law Partners at the federal high court in Abuja over alleged copyright infringement on its ‘Urban Kitchen Show’.

In summons written by Ogaga Ifowodo and Rockson Igelige of the law firm, it demanded, among other things, “aggravated and punitive damages against PTV for willful copyright infringement.”

The lawsuit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/ 1226 /2020 read partly that “the airing or broadcasting of the plaintiff’s work, Urban Kitchen Show, from July 5, 2019, to Feb. 3, 2020, was illegal.”

The plaintiff prayed the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, its agents, servants, privies, and successors-in-title from further airing the content belonging to Sate Television.

Sate Television Ltd, through its CEO, had held that it had, prior to the said infringement, reached a binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with PTV Communications Limited.

Although Remedium Law Partners said the contract wasn’t renewed by both parties, PTV was said to have continued to broadcast the show without consent from July 5, 2019, to February 3, 2020.

It claimed that, when PTV was notified of the copyright infringement for a possible settlement through mediation, the brand had retorted to threats and said it won’t be part of any mediation.

‘Battleline is drawn… you drew the first blood’ — Tony Nwulu

An audio recording said to have been obtained from a phone conversation between Tony Nwulu, who is CEO at PTV, and Omoluku portrayed the former vowing to go after the brand of the latter.

“Daudu, I have consistently decided to pursue the path of peace because I do not see anything I have done wrong to you. But you have consistently pursued the path of war. I would not lie that I have not seen some of the things you put up. You’re a young man as I am,” he said.

“We’re both trying to make ends meet. I do not know who your advisers are. I read what you sent out. You’ve drawn the first blood; you’ve called me out. I called you this morning to let you know that you started this dance. And you should know you have something good going for you.

“You have your show, you have your programme. And I have followed you through all the places you’re putting them on. Amazon TV… all the places you have stretched to get to. You’re a young man. I’ve seen you; I’ve seen your family. You have a lovely family.

“You’re trying to make ends meet and build something for yourself. You’re going on this path that you’ve chosen to go with, I don’t know who would lose the most. I called you to let you know because I read a couple of what you sent out there in the public.

“It is not about who goes out to the public first especially when you have something good going for you. All those places you have legs on, I would also do mine — both on CBN, BOI, CAC. I’m telling you this to put it on record. I’m coming with all the forces I can to state PTV did nothing wrong .

“I’ve done nothing wrong to you as an organization. I did not know about your existence until this MOU thing came up. The MOU thing has been denied by the lawyer that was said to have prepared it. I’ve kept cool all the while COVID came. I do not know what the problem is.

“We will get to the Supreme Court if that’ where it’s going to take us to. Justice will be served. But calling PTV out the way and manner you have done it, I hope you have kept some good money. Because I’m actually going to call you out everywhere.

“The contract you have overseas and everybody that is carrying your programme, I will make sure they drop them. By the time we’re done with this dance we’ve started, I will know where it will lead the both of us. And everything I have told you will be done legally.

“You have drawn this battle line. Everywhere you have a digital footprint will hear from PTV, my lawyers, and the Nigerian police. What I’m telling you is that the way you have affected my business, I will affect yours times ten of it. You started this first.

“The people that had led you to this will continue with their businesses. Lawyers will continue eating their food but, since you have decided that you want us to go this way, we will go till the end of it. I’m not mincing words. I’m fully out for it and it starts this week.

“Everywhere you have a digital footprint will hear from me. I want us to set that money aside if it will cost us N100 million, 200, N1 billion. You started this dance and we will end it. We’re going to court. By the time these matters are established, there’s no problem. The court will decide. At the end of the day, both us will come back here and look at who has injured himself the most.”