"This is something we all know, just that we were sort of reluctant to establish it until Ekow Micah and Akosua Agyapong finally took the bold step in starting up the innovative and rightful umbrella body for musicians, Music Council of Ghana (MUCOG). We 100% support MUCOG", Obuoba J A Adofo passionately revealed.
According to Obuoba, the non-existence of MUCOG is the main source of hindrance to the union’s monetary hurdles. It should have been the umbrella body handling finances for the union as well as the receivers of monies bestowed to the development of the union and its members.
He indicated that countries like USA, London and Germany among others have Music Councils as their umbrella body responsible for finances of the union, be it contributions or in-house fiscal affairs and then allocate deserving cash rewards to every registered musician in the union. "But no, it is not same with Ghana's industry."
"The acclaimed umbrella body of musicians, Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) neither sees to the welfare of the union nor its members. Even we the pacesetters of music in this country have totally been abandoned in abject poverty; we gain nothing for our contribution, ‘yeabre egu’", he lamented.
The ‘Ankwaanoma dede’ singer further noted that although already prepared budget plans awaits these contributed monies, the least help MUSIGA could have offered we musicians was to apportion some reasonable amount of the money to various sub-unions for its members upkeep and development.
"Since 1970 when I started singing in the era of Alhaji Sidiku Buari, Mrs. Diana Hopeson to Bice Osei Kuffuor (Obour), our current President of MUSIGA who actually made us aware that contributions were made into the unions coffers; yet we have never enjoyed a dime from monies the union achieves or receives into the coffers from foreign, organizations and individual contributors", he stated.
He noted that all these contributions were supposed to be received by MUCOG, "it is a part of their responsibilities to financially accomplish the industry's unions and it member’s objectives not MUSIGA."
"Like the GH¢2 million contribution President John Mahama made to the union, it should have rather been received by MUCOG who in turn would have allotted some amount to the various sub-unions and musicians, who even when stops singing and not working can at least gain some sort of ‘musical-pension pay’ to survive on", he indicated.
He further explained that GHAMRO’s role in the industry is solely to ensure that payments are made for songs played by spinners during occasions such as naming ceremonies, weddings, funerals, musical events, award ceremonies and also mobile product promotion that use music for exhibitions to deserving musicians as royalties and also campaign against piracy to help support the umbrella body of their responsibilities as well as protect musicians right.
Discussing awards events aimed at gratifying hardworking musicians, Obuoba Adofo expressed his displeasure about the way and manner majority number of great musicians doing various music genres have been sidelined during these awards ceremonies.
"It is very unfair of we highlife musicians as well as other music genres singers who have toiled and contributed to the industry are not appreciated for our hard works or being financially treated well; so what is the actual role of MUSIGA if their only concern are musicians who sing along with them?
"They can’t even seek to bring harmony among we the musicians as when a Highlife musician dies, just a handful of Gospel, Hiplife, Reggae and Dancehall musicians attends the funeral yet we call tag ourselves as musicians from Ghana; my advice to MUSIGA is they should step down for MUCOG to ensure to our prosperities and well-being. We are tired; we need MUCOG to take over attend to our needs”, Obuoba J A Adofo appealed in an interview.
With this on-going rally, I am then obliged to ask MUCOG activists that even though Parliament including Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Creative Arts (MTCCA), Association of Music Right Owners (AMRO), Musicians and Dancers Association of Ghana (MUDAG), Veterans Musicians Association of Ghana (VEMAG), Professional Musicians Association of Ghana (PROMAG), Composers and Authors of Music Association of Ghana (CAMAG) are said to have left MUSIGA to its faith and ENDORSED a bill asserting that Music Council of Ghana be recognized as the umbrella body of Ghanaian Musicians; what happens if MUCOG don’t live to expectations, will they as well be taken out of office or musicians in Ghana will be changed to individually preside over the musician union for an agreed days or months?
