A team from Vibe FM, led by Alhaji Tanko, last week met the former vice president of the Federation of International Musicians (FIM), Alhaji Sidiku Buari, in his office at Dworwulu in Accra to render an apology to him for making a defamatory statement about him on Vibe FM.
The apology came immediately after Alhaji Sidiku Buari, who is also the former president of the musicians union of Ghana (MUSIGA), had dragged Vibe FM and one of its presenters, Alhaji Tanko of Tanko Forex Bureau, to court for making a defamatory statement about him and his family.
At the meeting, the station also agreed to retract the statement made against Alhaij Sidiku by one Faruok aka Africa, a resource person on Alhaji Tanko’s programme. The station has since retracted the statement. Faruok, who does not know much about Sidiku Buari and his family, was also advised to be careful of his choice of words on radio and learn more about the ethics of the profession.
A source close to the former MUSIGA president told BEATWAVES that Alhaji Sidiku Buari, who accepted the apology in good faith, advised Alhaji Tanko and one Papa Angola to cross check their facts before going on air to present a case.
According to a statement of claim, on March 5, Sidiku Buari’s daughter, Shaida Buari, got married and a reception was organized by Sidiku Buari at his residence at Dzorwulu in Accra. The statement said at about 9:30pm on March 5, 2011, Sidiku Buari was called on his phone by a sympathizer to tune in to Vibe FM, which was carrying a story he believed defamed Sidiku Buari.
Several concerned Muslims and sympathizers of the plaintiff called him to explain the conduct of the station and its presenter. Alhaji Sidiku Buari then, by a letter dated March 23, 2011, requested the management of the station to furnish him with a recorded copy of the said broadcast with a view to issuing a rejoinder, but the station failed to furnish him with a copy of the recording.
Alhaji Sidiku Buari, who has contributed a lot to the development of show business in Ghana, was the first Ghanaian to get a musical contract with Radio Corporation of America in New York. Before he left for the United States, Sidiku Buari was a sports personality who won silver and bronze medals in the All African games in Senegal, and gold and silver medals in the West African games in Nigeria.
Sidiku’s music carrier started in the United States of America, where he played baseball and sang some songs taught in Ghana. This was where he realized he had a hidden talent. He met one of the biggest producers in the U.S. called the Heaven Mechanics, who promised to produce him because he was retiring from active baseball. He represented his school, Bronze Community College, in a number of sporting activities.
After retiring, Sidiku went to study music in the New York school of music, where he learnt more of professional music and the business aspect of music, after which he recorded his first album titled ‘Kalanbari’, which made it very big in the United States.
After returning home, Sidiku established himself as a businessman and has supported a number of institutions and raised money for charity. He has received a number of awards for his contribution to the development of the music industry and the society as a whole. Three years ago, he was honoured by the Chief Imam for his immense contribution to the development of the Muslim community, as well as his contribution to the construction of a new mosque.
“In music, my biggest achievement was when I had the chance to record my first album in the United States in 1957 and in sports is when I went to the all African games in Senegal and for the first time won a silver medal for Kwame Nkrumah to shake my hand, I think it was a dream come true”, Sidiku told BEATWAVES.
Sidiku holds a diploma in music and business administration and professional interior decoration.
