Nduom meets musicians

Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, presidential candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has declared his intention to give the arts industry in Ghana the necessary attention if given the nod in the December 7 elections to become president.

Dr. Nduom indicated this at the Coconut Groove Hotel in Accra on Thursday at a meeting with a number of players in the industry, to find out what their problems were.

According to Dr. Nduom, a CPP government would not relegate the arts industry to the background as past governments had done but would take issues concerning the industry seriously and take measures to move the industry forward.

“Music is business. You don’t have to sing and dance alone, but also make a living out of it. It is just like any other business people make money from. As I said, I will sit with you and work things out with you as I will do for others in the other sectors,” he noted.

He as well gave the assurance that he would provide the necessary support to promote music education in the country. He added that his government would give musicians technical assistance in packaging their works to attract international market.

He continued that his government would take a serious look at structures to alleviate the copyright problem Ghanaian musicians were facing. He disclosed that his campaign team had already devised an anti-piracy mechanism.

Present at the meeting were musicians Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Carlos Sakyi, Lucky Mensah, Czar and Omanhene Pozo. The rest were hiplife artistes Ex Doe, Mframa, Akatakyie, Riggie Zippy and a host of others including Fred Kyei Mensah and DJ Abio.

Ambolley, who spoke on behalf of the musicians, told Dr. Nduom that 90 percent of musicians in the country were not working due to poor structures. He said governments over the years, apart from that of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, had not done anything to help musicians as attention had been shifted from the arts. He told Dr. Nduom that musicians would hold him by his words should he become president.