My manifesto hinges on four key thematic areas:

✓ UNITY

✓ WELFARE

✓ ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY

✓ CAPACITY BUILDING.

✓ TEAMWORK

As the President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), it will be my utmost duty to work together with my Executives to coordinate and mobilize members in all the regions of Ghana and abroad to enhance their welfare, and to sustain the interest of the Union.

•  I shall diligently oversee the smooth administration of the Union and shall ensure the effective implementation of policies and programs laid down by the National Executive Council. Above all; I shall direct and implement activities of the Union and its Agencies.
•  I shall preside over all National Executive Council/Committee and General Meetings and shall spearhead and preside over collective bargaining sittings for minimum wage, contracts, and other benefits and rights of members.
• I shall be responsible for performing any other duties assigned by the National Executive Committee and National Executive Council in line with the Union’s constitution.
•  I shall represent the Union at talks, conferences, and seminars; and shall also submit to Congress every four years a report on the State of the Union; including a financial audited report of the affairs of the Union within the same period.

My vision is to lead the Union to bring all practitioners in the various forms of music together to ensure the gains of unionism while leading the Union to secure control over the music industry and the labor market and of course, my mission is to lead the Union to Promote and preserve Ghanaian Culture through education and equipping the Ghanaian musician to be self-reliant, creative and industrious.

Some of the objectives of my manifesto are to:

1. To protect the creative and performing rights of all musicians in the country.
2. To have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect musicians.
3. To promote the healthy growth of the music industry in Ghana.
4. To develop the talents and skills of musicians.
5. To ensure that the musician’s voice is heard at every level of government to create economic opportunity and foster social justice in a democratic and progressive Union
6. To seek and maintain the best interest of musicians and other industry players.
7. To build a good relationship with all the Cultural attaches in the various embassies with the view to promoting cultural exchange programs
8. To cater to the welfare of practicing and retired musicians.
9. To educate members on the profession and the business of music.
10. To establish welfare and insurance policies for members.
11. To develop highly trained and motivated leaders at every level of the Union.
12. To fight against violation of copyright law
13. To build a vibrant Union

The projects I envisage undertaking during my 1st four-year term are based on the five key thematic areas mentioned above:

1. UNITY

1. Stakeholders Engagement

The industry is so polarized to the disadvantage of members and the entirety of industry practitioners. In salvaging this unfortunate situation, my administration will prioritize uniting industry stakeholders. We will institute quarterly stakeholders’ engagements to discuss pertinent issues in the interest of members, the Industry and to develop a hand-holding relationships with musicians of all genres in all of the Regions, Radio and TV Presenters, Sound System and Disc Jockeys (DJs), Print and Electronic Media Practitioners; Record Label Representatives; Artistes’ Managers; Producers and Executive Producers; Studio Owners and Managers; Audio CD & DVD Replication Companies; Musical Instruments Dealers and Repairers; Event Organizers and Producers; Performance Venue Owners; Managements of Hotels, Night Clubs, Restaurants; the Leadership of Transport Unions and Associations, among others.

2. Uniting Union members and other Industry players

My Administration will take steps to bring back to the Union, members who by one way or the other have left the Union.

3. WELFARE

1. MUSIGA national welfare fund

My administration will establish systems to improve the welfare needs of members. Key among these systems will be the MUSIGA National Welfare Fund which will be contributed to by members. I will raise seed money to start up the welfare Scheme to cater to aging Musicians, up-and-coming artists, and the entire membership. The welfare fund will be the source of revenue for granting befitting burials for our departed legends.

1. Advocacy and Campaigns

We will vigorously advocate for the rights of registered members such as rights to royalties and also collaborate with the copyright office to campaign against bad practices such as copyright law infringement that have direct implications for the Work of Musicians.

1. Music Library

We will establish a Music Library to preserve and celebrate the music of our legends for tourist attractions and for revenue mobilization in support of our aging musicians.

1. Globalizing MUSIGA

My Administration will expand the boundaries of the Union by creating Chapters in various countries across the globe. These Chapters will be administered by our big Musicians living abroad. This will make the Union more visible globally and also it will create the opportunity for members to have exchange programs with other counties abroad and also have engagements to perform on international platforms.

4. ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
5. Finance Committee

We will set up a finance committee to oversee the financial administration of the Union.

1. Audit Committee

In the spirit of accountability and transparency, we will set up an audit committee to delve into the Union’s previous financial matters as well as safeguard the Union’s financial administration going forward.

5. CAPACITY BUILDING AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKS
6. Office Accommodation

We will secure a befitting office accommodation for MUSIGA National Secretariat and for other Regional Branches who do not have office accommodation. We will also create offices in the six new Regions.

1. Land acquisition

We will acquire lands for all ten Regional Branches to subsequently build permanent Regional offices.

1. Vehicles

We will acquire Vehicles for the National and Regional Branches for commercial purposes as means of revenue mobilization.

1. Musical Instrument and live Bands

We will set up MUSIGA National and Regional Musical live Bands, with sets of musical instruments, costumes, vehicles (buses and trucks), and a heavy-duty standby generator for commercial purposes. The Bands will back all artists in initiated concerts and tours. This would also be a revenue stream for the National and Regional offices of the Union.

1. Rehearsal and Recording Studios, TV and Radio Stations

We will secure for the Head office a fully furnished Rehearsal and Recording Studios. Also, we will establish TV and Radio Stations to promote our Musicians.

1. Ghana Music and Dance Festival

We will rebrand the Ghana Music Week Festival to celebrate Ghanaian Music, Arts, and Culture annually.

1. Workshops and Training Programmes

We will undertake leadership/membership development programs and organizational development plans. We will organize Workshops and Training programs for leadership and for members.

1. Biennial delegates conference /Constitutional Review

We will ensure that we hold the Union’s biennial delegates Conference and do a thorough review of the Union’s Constitution to remove ambiguity and inconsistencies.

TEAMWORK

Synergizing to achieve results through teamwork

We will synergize/collaborate with leadership, members, and industry players to achieve the ultimate goal of this manifesto. As President, I will consult with my team; solicit views and ideas of my executives and other stakeholders in every aspect of my work in order to ensure smooth administration of the Union.