GHAMRO Crusade Not A Witch-Hunt -Reggie Rockstone
Hip-life legend Reggie Rockstone says the ongoing campaign for fairness, transparency and equity in the distribution of royalties by the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) is not a witch-hunt but a necessary revolution for musicians.
Reginald Rockstone Ossei was among the several music right owners who took up the crusade to kick out the GHAMRO board. The crusade for ‘accountability and transparency’, as he calls it, took a positive twist when a Human Rights Court last Friday ordered the Carlos Sakyi led-board to step aside, setting up another interim board made up of Enoch Agyepong, Nana Aboagye Dacosta and Kwame Nsiah Apau also known as Okyeame Kwame to operate for six months and ensure that structures are put in place for proper elections to be conducted to elect a permanent board for GHAMRO.
“We are happy about the court order. Like I said, we are not on a witch-hunt. The two words I used as my slogan were ‘transparency and accountability’ and so I think we are making headway. This is a good look and it is also an example for the future that everything should be checked and put in order,” Reggie Rockstone told NEWS-ONE.
According to him, there is a lot of cleaning up to do before proper elections are carried in six months.
“I have hope, but of course we must learn from our past mistakes and learn not to repeat them. We should be able to detect very early if we have any discrepancies. This is a revolution for musicians and without a doubt, it is definitely in the forefront,” he stated.
The Chief Executive of the famous Django Bar said the revolution that is taking place in the music industry is one which will inspire the next generation to be able to stand up and speak for themselves.
“It should inspire the next generation to be able to stand up and speak for themselves when the need arises. Some things are just necessary and this is one of those things that needed to happen,” Reggie added.
He noted that the rot which had gone on with the former GHAMRO board was mostly as a result of ignorance on the part of some of the industry players.
“We have expressed a certain level of ignorance and for some of us, the ignorance turned into arrogance. It has never been a witch-hunt. I’m just thinking that this should be a guide because it is about time we really got on the global platform and operated like the rest of the world does when it comes to these things. It is a good start and hopefully the younger ones will take this mantle and build on it as a foundation to do things the right way,” he said.
Source: News One