A-Plus Leads Journalists On ‘Sete’ Assignment
Young musician A-Plus may have been singing songs about the need for correctness from politicians and people in political office but he did not anticipate that he himself would be a victim of his own incorrectness.
Last Monday, A-Plus and his manager invited journalists to Parliament House for a ceremony at which he was to present copies of his latest album, A letter to Parliament to all MPs “so that the lyrics could serve as a guide to them”.
The ceremony could not take place because either A-Plus himself did not know or he was misinformed. Parliament did not usually sit on Mondays. He had led the media on a useless assignment.
“Blame it on a communication gap” the manager, Yaw Sakyi, told waiting journalists. He indicated that the presentation will be done on another date.
A-Plus, real name Kwame Asare Obeng-Baffour, told journalists that his A Letter to Parliament, has landed him in trouble. He said that since some radio stations started playing the song, he has been receiving death threats from anonymous callers.
A-Plus's album is a critique on politicians, particularly Parliamentarians, whom he criticised for not fulfilling their campaign promises after winning elections.
In the song, he describes a Member of Parliament, whom he called 'Honourable Apofee', who stood in the rain to campaign but refused to get out of his car after winning the election to exchange greetings with his people.
“I don't think politicians are behind these death threats though. I blame political fanatics who are not abreast with the current political landscape in the country,” A-Plus said.
He said that the lawyers of former minister, Dr Richard Anane, had threatened to sue him for what they perceived as an innuendo about the minister in the song.
“My aim is not to ridicule MPs but it is important to keep them on their toes in order to entrench the current democratic dispensation,” A-Plus said.
“Some of the callers threaten me that I will be putting my life in danger so long as my new album is receiving patronage on the airwaves. Although I have reported the incident to the police, I have also been alert as far as my security details are concerned,” he said.
A-Plus said that the message of his song was how the general public perceive politicians and pointed out to political fanatics that their behaviour would only jeopardise the development of democracy in the country.
“I am not a member of NPP, neither am I a member of NDC. I am just a social commentator who does not want my beloved country to experience political turmoil,” he said.
This is the fourth album by A-Plus, all of which have touched on politicians not fulfilling their campaign promises. The earlier three albums are Freedom of Speech I and II, and Agye Gon.
Commenting on the Letter to Parliament, the NDC MP for North Dayi, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, said although the music was good, it focused more on the NDC even though there were equally bad things happening within the NPP camp.
She said democracy could not thrive without constructive criticism and asked the musician to also touch on the ills in other sectors of the society.
For his part, the NPP MP for Fomena, Nana Abu Bonsra, said the song was a “wake up call” for MPs not to give promises that they could not fulfil when they won elections.
“Let us be reasonable in our promises since the main function of the MP is to make laws,” Nana Bonsra said.
He said the NPP accepts constructive criticisms from all quarters, adding that “nobody should take up arms with the musician for expressing his views. That is the beauty of democracy”.
Story by Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah