Gospel singer Mercy Chinwo has recently addressed the ongoing dispute with her former manager, Mr. Ezekiel ThankGod, popularly known as EeZee Tee, founder of EeZee Conceptz. The conflict, which has garnered significant public attention, centers on allegations of contract fraud, financial mismanagement, and personal grievances.
Background of the Dispute
Mercy Chinwo signed a contract with EeZee Conceptz in 2017, marking the beginning of a professional relationship that would later become contentious. According to a statement released by her legal representative, Pelumi Olajengbesi, Chinwo alleges that EeZee Tee replaced the original 2017 contract with a new one in 2019 without her knowledge. This new contract purportedly allocated lifetime ownership of all her musical works to EeZee Tee and was designed to keep her in perpetual servitude.
Chinwo further claims that EeZee Tee refused to provide her with a copy of the original 2017 contract until its expiration in 2022. Upon receiving it, she discovered that the contract had been altered, with the date “2019” changed to “2017” by modifying the numeral “9” to “7” with a pen. This alteration was evident, as the commencement page still read “2019.” Investigations revealed that EeZee Tee had engaged a prominent law firm in Lagos in 2019 to draft a new contract, which he then presented as the original 2017 agreement.
Financial Allegations
Beyond the contractual disputes, Chinwo accuses EeZee Tee of financial improprieties. She alleges that he doctored financial reports from platforms such as Symphonic, Africori, and YouTube, failing to declare the correct revenue splits and retaining approximately $345,000 from her digital platforms and events without her knowledge or consent. Additionally, he is accused of listing himself as the writer of all her songs to receive revenues as both writer and producer, withholding publishing revenue from her for seven years.
In response to these allegations, EeZee Tee has denied any financial misconduct. He claims to have paid Chinwo over $600,000 and asserts that any funds retained were in line with their agreed-upon 50/50 revenue split. He also contends that Chinwo is portraying herself as a victim of a bad contract, despite having received substantial payments.
Attempts at Reconciliation
Chinwo states that despite the challenges, she made efforts to reconcile with EeZee Tee. Guided by her spiritual mentor, she decided to restore their working relationship, even going as far as purchasing a brand-new SUV for him as a gesture of goodwill. However, she claims that EeZee Tee was more interested in publicizing the gift on social media, and when she declined, their relationship deteriorated further. Subsequently, she took over managing her program scheduling and continued to remit 50% of any gifts or honorariums to EeZee Tee, as per their agreement.
Legal Proceedings
The dispute escalated to legal proceedings when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) became involved. The EFCC has accused EeZee Tee of misappropriating funds by failing to remit Chinwo’s share of the earnings. He is scheduled for arraignment on February 14, 2025, over the alleged $345,000 fraud.
Chinwo emphasizes that she did not initiate any court action against EeZee Tee regarding her music catalog and has never claimed that the 50/50 revenue split from her digital streaming platform earnings was unfair. She expresses deep concern over the falsehoods being circulated and feels compelled to clarify the facts to set the record straight.
Conclusion
The feud between Mercy Chinwo and EeZee Tee highlights the complexities that can arise in artist-manager relationships, especially concerning contractual agreements and financial transparency. As the legal proceedings unfold, the public will be keenly observing the outcomes and implications for both parties involved.
For more insights into this ongoing dispute, you can watch the following video: