Obour to revamp MUSIGA with ‘AJUMAPA’

Hip life artist, Obour known in real life as Bice Osei Kuffour has launched his campaign to rise from his current position as the National Youth Organizer of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) to the high office of President for the union. Obour has since May 2011 showed his readiness in becoming the next president of MUSIGA to change the plight of musicians in the country and also to continue from where current president Diana Hopeson will be leaving off.

As the youngest in the race for the MUSIGA presidency, Obour joins veteran musicians like Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Nana Tuffour and Willie Roe with similar ambitions. At his media launch, Obour outlined his seven point agenda. It is picked from his motto ‘AJUMAPA’ literally means good works, an acronym for: Administration, Jobs, Unity, Music business, Ageing, Policies and Achievements.

Obour explained that his seven point agenda conveys developmental plans and programmes that are tangible, realistic and deliverable if he is elected as MUSIGA President. He said MUSIGA is not attractive and appealing to all manner of musicians because of lack of adequate systems and structures in the Union. Under his presidency, Obour promised to work vigorously to put better structures in place to take care of musicians, notably old musicians who become inactive in their old age.

The 2004 Ghana Music Awards Artiste of the Year winner said he will work hard to make musicians who are members of MUSIGA benefit and make non-members jealous. This, he said will force the non-member to quickly become members of the Union. “I will work hard to make members who are musicians benefit so much that if you are not a member and a musician, you will feel left out so you would want to be a member”.

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Obour also confirmed that he was approached by certain individuals to step aside, to which he refused because of lack of tangible reasons. “I’ve had several of those in the early stages of my decision to compete for this position; I had numerous calls, not by the candidates themselves but by different individuals but they didn’t have tangible reasons. Because anybody that approached me, I asked them that, do you think that I can do the work and they all boldly tell me, Obour, we know you are the best man for the work.”
The musician in the past has successfully executed several campaigns including road safety, nationwide reading, and tuberculosis awareness. He is with the believe that MUSIGA should be able to change the lives of musicians, adding that he will re-brand the union to look more attractive and to bring on board all musicians who have not had a reason to join the union.

With result oriented people to man his administration, Obour also revealed that he will form a strong affiliation and bond with the various festivals in Ghana including international festivals for musicians to take advantage of. He promised to bring at least 70 percent of active musicians into the musician’s fraternity and that, MUSIGA offices will be set across the world for Ghanaian musicians in the Diaspora.

The  MUSIGA Congress is slated for Tamale from August 16-18. Present at the media launch to show support was high life musicians AB Crentsil, Rex Omar, Praye Honeho, A-Plus and Okyeame Kwame who doubled as the MC. Also a video was showed of some musicians, radio presenters endorsing Obour in a documentary. Some delegates from other regions were present to show solidarity.