FROM: MUSICIANS UNION OF GHANA
TO: ALL MEDIA HOUSE
SUBJECT: MUSIGA REACTS TO AMBULLEY’S UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS “HE NEEDS RE-EDUCATION ON THE UNION”
The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) wishes to categorically deny the contents of a news report published by a section of the media, on Wednesday September 17, 2014, in which a senior musician, Blay Ambolley, was quoted to have accused the Union of excess thievery and dissipation of funds of Starr fm.
We find the continues accusations supposedly coming from Mr. Blay Ambolley to be a wicked untruth deliberately put out to create public disaffection for the Union and also to incite its members to unnecessary anger.
The accusations have no basis, they lack merit and do not make sense when juxtaposed by the verifiable facts and figures available on the matter. We therefore call on our members, stakeholders and the general public to disregard them.
In responding to some of his unfounded allegations, Ambulley and other contestants who lost during the elections in Tamale in 2011 were invited immediately to join the current leadership to work together as formidable team for the good of the industry but he never showed up.
His inability to give straight forward answer when the Host of the programme on star FM Bola Ray asked him “will you accept an invitation to work with the current leadership’ sparks a question mark on him as to what could he had offered differently if he was the President of the Union.
Here is a Musiga presidential aspirant who does not even understand that funds are not released before utilization plans are discussed. Perhaps Mr. Ambulley should know that, the government budget allocation to the Union in 2012 was project specific and nothing else.
The Ghana music week events of 2013 in particular were one of the components for which the government allocation was made.
Again Mr. Ambulley purports to be interested in training of young musicians and can criticize the work of the Union yet do not know that the Union is currently working on a training programme in collaboration with NAFTI(soon to become University of Media and Creative Arts) under the MUSIGA Academy project.
I will be glad to see him as one of the instructors of this training programme.
One may ask Mr. Ambulley, what was the leadership and administrative structure he worked with when he was the vice president of the Union over two decades ago? Did they have any administrative or management staff? Did they have regional offices? Did they ever produce a single audited account to members? Was there any operational and financial manuals?
This and more are all being done at the moment. What kind of Hypocrisy could this be? All because he is not the Union President, what anyone does is not right.
Where was Ambulley when the Union’s AMWEF Fund paid for hospital bills for many aged musicians, registered some with the National Health Insurance Scheme apart from benevolently distributing moneys to over 120 musicians who are above 60 years in Accra and Kumasi.
As a Union, we operate an open door policy of accountability and if Mr. Blay Ambolley, rather than making his unfounded comments in the media made a complain at the National office, whatever concerns he may have, he will have had the opportunity to further educate himself on the issues raised.
The Union, through our various channels of internal and external communications, has disseminated ample information on our various funds and our doors remain open to all persons who may seek further clarification on our activities.
The Union on yearly basis publishes her audited financial and technical reports which are available for members.
Mr. Blay Ambolley, in his position as a senior member of the Union who even contested for MUSIGA Presidency at our last elections but did not win, should have taken advantage of the various channels of seeking information and handle his concerns in a manner that would be exemplary to our new members.
We once again would use this opportunity to invite all members of MUSIGA who are sixty years and above to register with the administrators of the Ageing Musicians Welfare Fund through our regional and National offices to enable them benefit from the fund.
Finally we thank all our members, stakeholders and the media for the support and goodwill shown to the Union over the years and we assure you that we would continue to work for the good of our members. (MUSIGA! Together in Rhythm)
Signed.: Appiah Dankwah(Appietus)ember – MUSIGA Communications Team
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