MUSIGA given bad name —Bessa Simons

THE acting president of the Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Mr Bessa Simons, has admitted the union has been given a bad name and he intends ‘rescuing’ it when voted into office.

There have been too many negative news about the union, rendering it very unattractive for business among others, thus when voted as president, saving it from the unappealing image will be one of the key things on his agenda.

In an interview with Graphic Showbiz on Tuesday, Bessa said, “MUSIGA has been painted black and that is not good as a brand. Musicians have said so many unsavoury things about the union which are even untrue. It will amaze you to know that most of the musicians who say those things are not even members.

“However, there are loads of positive things about MUSIGA that we can tell Ghanaians and the world at large. MUSIGA should be made attractive and that will depend on the great things we put about it out there,” he added.

MUSIGA will on Tuesday, October 10, go to the polls to elect new executive. This comes after several years of postponement due to court injunctions, and Bessa hopes there will be no embargo placed on the elections this time around.

Since the tenure of the last executives led by Bice Osei Kuffour aka Obour four years ago, elections of MUSIGA executive have been rescheduled four times. The last one was supposed to come off on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 but it was called off due to another court injunction.

Bessa tells Graphic Showbiz the several injunctions placed on the MUSIGA elections are not helpful because it gives the union a bad name.

“Even aspiring presidents of MUSIGA have taken the union to court and had injunctions placed on the elections but what they forget is that it gives the union they want to lead a bad name making it unattractive. Musicians depend on us and need us for business and when these things happen, no one is willing to work with us,” he said.

In addition to redeeming the image of MUSIGA when he becomes president, Bessa outlined his other plans for the union.

According to him, he has a vision for the union starting with uniting all its members.

“To achieve anything meaningful, we need to come together as one. If there is division, it will be difficult to achieve our goal and I promise to bring unity in the union,” he said.

Also, Bessa said he would strengthen the offices of MUSIGA in the regions. “MUSIGA has offices in almost all the regions across the country but it seems the only one everyone knows is the one in Accra. Our members and anyone who wants to do business with us don’t need to travel all the way from for instance the north or any part of the country to Accra,” he stated.

 “I believe in MUSIGA a lot because I have been a part of it for some time now and I know the prospects it has. We have given it a bad name for far too long and it is about time some of us changed the narrative,” he concluded.