Tension mounts in music industry…as top musicians support Ambolley

A Group of Ghanaian musicians who are unhappy about the treatment meted out to Gyedu Blay Ambolley by the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) have declared their support for Ambolley in the fight against alleged injustice and corruption in the music industry.

The group said they have followed developments between Sidiku Buari, former president of MUSIGA and Gyedu Blay Ambolley, and have come to realize that Ambolley was unjustly disqualified from contesting the MUSIGA presidency.

According to them, the music industry had encountered so many problems which needed urgent attention, adding that “we need to put in place personalities who have the skills and credibility to run the industry and not those who will run the union with their wives from their bedroom”.

They were of the view that Nana Ambolley’s problem with the then executives of the union began when he insisted that all office holders of the union should be probed before going to congress to elect new leaders.

“The time has come for us to join Ambolley to wipe out all the fraudsters who are enriching themselves at the expense of the poor Ghanaian musicians who are dying like beggars on the streets,” they pointed out.

At a series of meetings held in Accra, the musicians indicated that should Sidiku Buari refuse to heed their call, they would take over the union’s offices through legitimate means.

Among the musicians were Rex Omar, Jewel Ackah, Charles Amoah, Stan Plunge, Carlos Sakyi, Mac Tontoh, Adane Best, Felix Bell, Akablay, Art Bennin and many more including music producer Faisal Helwani.

Other musicians who were also at one of the meetings were Slim Busterr, A-Plus, Antwi Ne Antwi, one of the Tagoe Sisters, Papa Yaw Johnson, Kingsley and a host of others.

Besides “the unfair disenfranchisement of Ambolley”, the group indicated that “MUSIGA did not hold any regional elections to elect delegates to the congress held in Sunyani last Wednesday”. “Who decided the delegates and who voted,” they queried.

On the vetting committee instituted by MUSIGA, they asked “where is our dignity if now different people including radio DJs who do not know how to compose chorus in music now vet us?

With all due respect, all the committee members are nice people and intelligent but if “animals” living under the sea are searching for their king, how does it concern those on the land?”

“Let’s say, if GPRTU is organizing its elections, would Prof. Akosah, Dr. Mensah Otabil or Charles Amoah be on their vetting committee? That would never happen. Even though nurses and doctors work together, doctors do not sit on nurses’ vetting committee,” Charles Amoah charged.

He accused Alhaji Sidiku Buari of not putting important issues that affect musicians and the industry before government to assist the industry. “When did Sidiku Buari tell President Kufuor or any other president to add music to our educational curriculum?”

The musicians therefore called on their colleague musicians not to be tight-lipped on vital issues, encouraging them to stand for the truth and not comprise the noble business -music - which to them had been mismanaged over the years in Ghana by “mafias”.

Nana Ambolley told DAILY GUIDE that the fight is still on, and showed his first MUSIGA membership card obtained in 1975 as well as newspaper cuttings to evince the fact that he was qualified to stand for president in the union’s elections.

The group presented a petition on the MUSIGA national congress to the Minister for Culture and Chieftaincy Affairs after the meeting.

They called also on the Kufuor administration to add Music to the new educational reforms, adding “when you go seeking for investors, remember musicians too.”

Meanwhile, information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that a suit filed by Chizzy Nii Lomokko, a musician, at an Accra High Court against Ambolley for the court to restrain the union from accepting Gyedu Blay Ambolley as a contestant in the union’s elections was allegedly withdrawn by the plaintiff last Thursday.