Abena Ruthy, the Second Vice President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), clarified the union’s stance on supporting veteran hiplife artist Okomfour Kwadee.
In a candid conversation with Obaapa Janee, Abena Ruthy dismissed claims that MUSIGA was unwilling to help Kwadee due to his non-membership.
“I didn’t say Kwadee is not a member of MUSIGA, so we won’t help him,” she explained. “I said he is not a member. However, our President has instructed us to look for him and provide support.”
She went on to highlight the importance of musicians being registered members of the union.
“As a musician, you are supposed to be a member of the union so we can support you in times of trouble.
We use the dues members pay to sort out these kinds of issues. So if you are not a member, how do you expect us to get money to help you when you are in trouble?”
Despite this, Abena Ruthy reassured the public that MUSIGA is not turning its back on Kwadee. She recalled that in 2018, during a similar period of difficulty for the artist, the union stepped in to assist him.
“It’s not like we won’t help, but we urge every musician to join MUSIGA. It makes it easier to support our own when the need arises.”
As MUSIGA takes steps to reach out to Kwadee, the bigger question remains: Will more musicians heed the call to join the union, ensuring that such issues are handled proactively in the future?
Story by Obaapa Janee
