Musicians Not Happy With Government

THE CONCERNED Members of the Copyright Society of Ghana (COSGA), a group made up of music rights owners, has declared it will not sit unconcerned for a group of people calling themselves 'Taliban mafias' to destroy the music industry.

According to the group, since it members also work tirelessly to build a vibrant music industry for the country, it is its duty to make sure that things are done right.

The group noted that the music industry has gone through so many problems which need urgent attention, adding that stakeholders need to put in place personalities who have the skills and credibility to run the industry.

The members of the group were of the view that it is high time the stakeholders in the industry flushed out those who want to enrich themselves through the sweat of musicians.

Speaking to BEATWAVES after a meeting organized by the group on Wednesday at Abrantie spot in Accra, members expressed concern about the way and manner the Attorney-General (A-G), and Minister of Justice, Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, were handing issues affecting the industry.

The members, who were present at the meeting and were visibly worried about the way the government is playing politics with the music industry, voiced out their grievances and displeasure about the incapability of the Attorney General to dissolve the COSGA board.

They observed that it was sad that the Attorney-General had failed to investigate allegations of corruption which have brought activities in the industry to a standstill, creating a lot of problems for the players in the industry.

The members of Concerned Members of COSGSA, said piracy, which is a major canker in the music industry, is flourishing in Ghana while musicians suffer as a result of it, thus making them poorer and unable to enjoy the fruit of their labour.

The concerned members disclosed that they had already made some recommendations to the government to expunge certain clauses of the Copyright Law which are draconian in nature, making it abundantly evident that the government does not view the music industry as a private sector operation with unwarranted impositions and blatant interference through those provisions.

They however called for drastic measures to be taken to weed out all those 'Taliban mafias' whose activities have contributed toward the collapse of Ghana's music industry.

The members of the group  called on the government, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, to critically review portions of the Copyright Regulations, amend and delete burdensome and detrimental clauses which have the potential to destroy the music and audiovisual industries, particularly concerning collective administration societies and security devices.

The group again called on the Attorney General to order the Copyright Office, headed by Bernard K. Bosumprah, to render accounts for huge sums of monies generated from the sales of Gamugram and other stake to stakeholders in the music and audiovisuals industries. By George Clifford Owusu