Highlife musicians, Rex Omar and Akosua Agyapong, do not seem to be reaching a consensus over music royalties’ collection and distribution services supervised by the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO).
The former member of GHAMRO, Akosua Agyapong has accused the current GHAMRO Chairman, Mr Rex Omar of misappropriating funds collected by the organisation as music royalties.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem’s anti-corruption segment, Fabewoso, on Wednesday, Madam Agyapong and another former member of GHAMRO, Mr Awuku Hagan slammed the current Board over non-payment of royalties.
According to them, the monies retrieved by GHAMRO as music royalties were way higher than monies distributed to registered musicians under the umbrella of the music rights organisation.
“GHAMRO has a lot of money but just being heartless with the people. They have failed to pay royalties due creative art workers while we wallow and die in poverty. GHAMRO is hurting musicians,” Miss Agyapong fumed.
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Reacting to this on the same Dwaso Nsem morning show on Adom FM on Thursday, Mr Omar rubbished allegations made by Miss Agyapong and Mr Hagan.
“They are doing politics. Akosua Agyapong and some people wanted to get license from Attorney General to also collect royalties but they were denied.
“Awuku Hagan supporting her was also staff in Carlos Sekyi’s administration. When we came, we sacked him and he is peeved. We didn’t see what he was doing,” Mr Omar explained.
What baffles Mr Omar’s mindset is that in the previous administration of GHAMRO which included Miss Agyapong, there was never an annual report although it was required by law.
In response, Miss Agyapong said the Attorney General didn’t halt her moves to own her own music royalties collection agency.
“If you go to many African countries, there are so many collection societies, he should say the truth that outside, how many collection societies do we have? We were not denied, she told us to sit down and talk; they should be very careful,” she said.