Lack Of Transparency In M-COSGA... Ampadu Resigns

Highlife legend Nana Kwame Ampadu I has relinquished his membership of the newly-formed collective society, M-COSGA, citing lack of transparency.

In his resignation letter to the executives of M-COSGA, Nana Kwame Ampadu, who is also the General Secretary of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) said: “In appreciating your tireless efforts to initiate the formation of M-COSGA and luring me into its directors membership, I deem it also very explanatory to register my reasons for opting out of M-COSGA, to the effect that I have observed the obvious and complete absence of transparency”.

Nana Kwame Ampadu I stated that when M-COSGA was set up, a unanimous decision was reached at a joint meeting of the stakeholders comprising representatives from MUSIGA, GAPI, RIPPAGH and PROMAG.

According to him, at the said meeting an eleven-member committee was appointed with proportionate representation of all the afore-mentioned institutions to work out structural modalities within 40 days, and come out with reliable recommendations to be scrutinized by all.

However this was not to be as the president of MUSIGA, Mrs. Diana Hopeson and chairman of GAPI, John Mensah Sarpong, tried to undermine the committee, he explained.

Nana Ampadu said with interference from certain leaders in the industry he is convinced that an institution which is inconsistent in its decisions can neither be trusted nor relied upon.

He advised that since M-COSGA is a private collection society, the introduction of impositions must not be given consideration, but rather allow free registration by interested persons in the music industry.

Responding, the chairman of COSGA Board, Alhaji Sidiku Buari said in a statement that he was not surprised at Nana Ampadu's resignation since that has been his stock in the trade since the 1970s and that his attitude had made the going tough for MUSIGA.

He said Nana Ampadu was party to the formation of M-COSGA.
“So in effect the formation of M-COSGA was not a unilateral decision as Nana Ampadu purported to portray. Also I wish to draw your attention to the fact that the formation of the society is mandated by the New Copyright Act 690.

“As to your allegation of lack of transparency in M-COSGA, I see it as double standard since it was a collective decision by members of MUSIGA, GAPI, and RIPPAGH”.

Alhaji Sidiku Buari, who denied the formation of an eleven member committee, said the presidents of MUSIGA and GAPI are not aware of any such committee. But a document available to DAILY GUIDE indicates that such a committee was put in place and its first meeting which was supposed to have been held on Friday January 25, was cancelled at the eleventh hour.

By George Clifford Owusu