The newly-elected board of the Ghana Music Right Organization (GHAMRO) has announced plans to open five new offices to help establish strong presence in the regions.
These would be in Ho, Tamale, Cape Coast and two other places yet to be decided.
The 13-member body, chaired by ace musician, Kojo Antwi, deals basically with copyright issues and presently operates offices in Accra and Kumasi.
The board’s decision was communicated at a meeting held with musicians and other stakeholders in Kumasi.
Mr Antwi expressed deep worry about the high number of industry players who lacked sufficient understanding of matters relating to copyrights and said a lot of education and sensitization would have to be carried out to change this.
It was necessary to aid people to do the right things to significantly rein in piracy, he added.
The Board Chairman spoke of their determination to push for the setting up of a tribunal by the Attorney-General and the Justice Ministry to prosecute copyright infractions.
Rex Owusu Marfo (Rex Omar), Chairman of the Advisory Committee, said the administrative system of the organization had been re-structured to allow for efficient management – proper checks and balances.
The right caliber of people, he said, have been recruited and given the free hand to run affairs.
Mr Ahmed Bandah (Bandex), the Welfare Committee Chairman, said it was sad to see Ghanaian musicians struggle to fend for themselves in their old age because of piracy – a sharp contrast with what pertains in other societies where their counterparts live in comfort.
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Source: GNA
