“…See, we searching for the answer, cus we wanna live happily ever after... We should open another chapter, so we could write the story again... Cus we killing the game, the game The game 3x Cus we killing the game, the game The game 3x”
Indeed… Songs are a very powerful means of easy communication, and the song titled ‘Killing The Game’ by Obour featuring Okyeame Kwame and Richie which sparked a sizzling hullabaloo between Okyeame Kwame, Obour, Obrafour and Guru with ‘Kasiebo’; I will say 'Killing The Game' is a clear prophesy of what has been happening in the music industry after its last election held.
The music industry has now become a game ‘union-field’ being played by very aggressive union members and its umbrella body; MUSIGA leaders who are being blamed for their partiality 2 years after being voted into office. The industry is now full of factions involving various sub-unions and its heads; and the now 'endorsed umbrella body', Music Council of Ghana fighting against the MUSIGA for its bad leadership.
Sub-unions including Association of Music Rights Owners (AMRO), Musicians and Dancers Association of Ghana (MUDAG), Veteran Musicians Association of Ghana (VEMAG), Professional Musicians Association of Ghana (PROMAG), Music Council of Ghana, Composers and Authors of Music Association of Ghana (CAMAG) and even the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Creative Arts (MTCCA) is also alleged to have left MUSIGA to its fate, and now approved Music Council of Ghana as head of musicians as stated in a press release signed by Grace Watara (Mrs.), National General Secretary of MUDAG.
Although factions are nothing new in organizations, factionalism in MUSIGA began way back 2 years ago during the MUSIGA elections where numerous rumours and accusations between contenders who vied for the Presidency of the union and their various supporters.
Rumours and accusations like the distribution of rLG laptops and mobile phones as well as doling out GHS50 and GHS300 to buy votes by the Obour camp, as alleged by supporters of various camps.
Although some of these accusations labeled against the sitting president of MUSIGA, Bice Osei-Kufour (Obour) may have had some light truth in them; none of the ‘rumour-advocates’ were able to back their allegations with specifics (pictures or recorded voices) and since the ‘human head is not a pawpaw or egg to easily cut it open to view the actual truth in a matter’, it was left to fade away.
Three years in office, there still are related issues- resulting in the resignation of some key members as well as some regional heads of MUSIGA- citing personal issues with the Union heads and its administration and other unknown ‘monetary’ reasons.
The level of allegations and mishaps in the music industry by various union heads and members increased when it was reported that His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, had credited a whooping sum of GHS2,000,000 into MUSIGA’s bank account.
Almost every division under the musicians umbrella body wanted their share of the money, yet their requests were either ignored or withheld either by some insubstantial excuses like ‘we are yet to sit and draw a good budget plan for the money given us’ or ‘send us a letter outlining your budget plan for the amount of money being requested’ or ‘we are yet to close a deal on the main reason behind the money before we can go into coffers.’
Upon all the reasons given, it yielded no good news to the ‘share of money-applicants’ to solve their union impediment as well as support some union members and that lead to various secret ‘meaned-meetings’ to plan ‘coup d'état’ against the Obour administration.
Then, the question of ‘who on this earth will reject honey being poured into his or her mouth and who will be given his or her share of a gift and still go complain bitterly to family members or public for not being treated unfairly’ came into mind.
I was briefly baffled when I saw the president of Music Council of Ghana, Ekow ‘perform’ during MUSIGA Peace Concert at the Independence Square, claiming we are one people, yet seem to be the second major brain behind some of these factions going on in the music industry. Is he really a peace-leader?
I once remember meeting with George William Dickson, the said fingered and witch-hunting personality by MUSIGA for their mishap at the Amakye Dede Spot where issues of that occurred during the last election was sorted out; the fact that he is not satisfied with Obour's 'ADWUMAPA' for the union, why not go on a demo' or set up an 'Entertainment Judgment Debt committee' to look into matters?
Just as Obour rapped in ‘killing the game’,
‘…y3afaili, yen nyinaa afaili (We have failed, indeed we have all failed)
Ato me adwendwen Kwame y3 b3y3 den ni?...’ indeed President Obour and his administration has in a way failed, and discouraged its members and music lovers of the faith they entrusted in them.
Personally, I think MUSIGA needs to restructure its regulations, not in a way to favor either its administrative body or its sub-union bodies and members, but a fair regulation to redeem its respect and execute its responsibilities as Ghana’s umbrella body for musicians; or lose its value.
