While some have criticized the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) for not supporting hiplife musician Okomfour Kwadee during his struggles, Abena Ruthy, the 2nd Vice President of MUSIGA, has clarified that the artiste is not a registered member of the union.
She, however, noted that MUSIGA has assisted Kwadee in the past and intends to do so again on humanitarian grounds.
“There was news about Kwadee recently. He is not even a member now. But our President was on us to link up with him. So that is the kind of thing we are doing. We are a family,” she said in an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z.
Abena Ruthy further explained that MUSIGA is a welfare group dedicated to improving the living conditions of its members and urged musicians to actively contribute to the union’s welfare and insurance schemes.
According to her, there is a common misconception that every artiste automatically belongs to MUSIGA.
“There is a narrative out there that as long as someone sings, people assume they are part of us. But we have members in good standing. As it stands, Kwadee is not a member in good standing,” she stated.
In 2018, MUSIGA, under the leadership of Ras Caleb Appiah, visited Kwadee at the Willing Ways Foundation rehabilitation center in Kumasi and made donations to support him.
Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that Kwadee’s mental health has deteriorated again.