Following what he perceives as maltreatment and intimidation meted out to him by certain personalities, the immediate past chairman of the Ghana Association of Phonographic Industry (GAPI), John Mensah Sarpong, has announced his decision to withdraw from the chairmanship position race in the association’s forthcoming election.
In an interview with BEATWAVES, John Mensah Sarpong disclosed that his decision to withdraw from the race was based on the association’s inability to put in place a competent committee to organize the election. He alleged that the election committee put in place to handle the election has aligned itself with certain personalities to frustrate him.
John Mensah Sarpong, who is the chief executive officer of JMS Music Productions, noted since he has a good image to protect he thought the only thing that would save it from being dragged through the mud was to withdraw from the race.
He told BEATWAVES, “I have lost interest in the members of the election committee because they have failed to deliver. Their action tells me that the election will not be free and fair.
You see, one funny thing is that some of the election committee members have been on radio to campaign against me. They are biased. These negative attitudes tend to undermine the unity among the stakeholders”.
Explaining further, John stated that certain members of the association have made so many disparaging remarks about him on radio and in the newspapers, which he said has tarnished and undermined his hard earned reputation.
He was of the view that since he was not ready to support any foul play and mafia tactics in the organization of the election to elect new executives, he had decided not to be part of it.
John Mensah Sarpong, who has contributed enormously towards the activities of the association, called for a refund of the money he paid to the association.
He disclosed that despite his withdrawal from the race, he would continue to work with other stakeholders to create an enabling environment to facilitate smooth operation in the industry.
During his reign as the chairman of the association, he worked tirelessly toward the payment of royalties to music producers and organized seminars to upgrade the skills of the stakeholders in the industry.
Some of the highlights on the list of achievement were; the collection of royalties for the members of the association, the acquisition of a 25-acre piece of land for the creation of a cultural village and the permanent erection of an office complex in Kumasi.
He was also able to seek sponsorship from organizations like BUSAC, among others, which funded capacity-building in the music industry. BUSAC also funded a study visit for members of GAPI to some countries.
John Mensah noted that his recent visit to Europe has created opportunities for the Ghanaian music industry, adding that a number of investors have shown interest in the industry.
He revealed that the Norwegian copyright Association (NORCODE) is ready to assist the Ghanaian music industry to embark on a sustainable anti-piracy exercise in the country.
During his reign as the leader of GAPI he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Add Pages, an Internet Service provider in Norway, to establish a bank in Ghana to support the music industry.
