I dare those who say I’ve failed to show their faces – Obour

• Posted on October 29, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Bice Obour Kufour, President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), has stepped up his campaign for a renewal of his mandate in the Union’s upcoming elections this weekend and has insisted that he is the best person to take MUSIGA to its desired destination.

He has asked his critics who described him as a ‘failed president’ to back their statement with evidence that can be discussed rather than putting out “allegations inspired by people who want to become MUSIGA President.”

“I am daring those who are going about saying I am a failure and I have not done anything for MUSIGA to show their faces for us to debate their claim. You can’t just throw that allegation at my team and I and refuse to prove it. I agree it is not all the things we set out to achieve that we have achieved but we have achieved most of the things and some more that were not even in our plan. I cannot debate blanket statements that have no content. My two opponents should be honest and say I have not done everything I said I would do but when they say my team and I have not done anything, it is an insult to the people they are talking to because the evidence of what we have to show would prove them wrong,” Obour told NEWS-ONE.

The MUSIGA president said he believes his mandate should be renewed for another four years based on the achievements he and his team have chalked in the first term of the implementation of their ‘AJUMAPA’ Vision.

“The administration I lead has chalked many successes and created many industry firsts in the development of MUSIGA and the music industry as a whole: from making MUSIGA a household name, providing jobs for musicians, organising capacity building workshops, artiste development fora,  providing effective administration and transparent governance, development of new  website and other social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc) to creating international partnerships and affiliations,  protection for members, providing support to regional offices, organising peace campaigns, creating platforms to promote members, remaining as a strong voice for the music profession and many more,” Obour noted.

When asked to cite specific examples of his achievements, Obour said his administration has established the Ageing Musicians Welfare Fund (AMWEF) which carries out periodic distribution of cash and organises medical screening for beneficiaries. He added that over 200 musicians have benefitted from the AMWEF.

The MUSIGA president also stated that his administration had set up the MUSIGA ACADEMY where the Union would collaborate with the School of Performing Arts (S.P.A) and National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) to provide professional training and skills for players in the Music Industry.

He said 100 candidates have been shortlisted and are about to start the professional training.

Obour also mentioned that his administration has effectively rebranded the Union to become more attractive to industry players and other stakeholders to the extent that MUSIGA membership has increased by some 200 percent. He said he has also introduced “membership categorisation” with accompanying benefits (including free legal advice, facilitation in musical works registration and royalty collection).

The MUSIGA boss stated that the past four years in office have earned him priceless experience and enabled him to lay a solid foundation for the Union, adding that he therefore stands tall above the two others contending with him for the Union’s presidency, namely Gyedu Blay Ambolley and Appiah ‘Appietus’ Dankwa, when it comes to the choice of who should be given the mandate to lead the Union.

NEWS-ONE, in its Friday edition, will publish a comprehensive report on all three contenders for the Union’s presidency.