Bessa Simons speaking at the launch
Aspiring president of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Henry Bessa Simons, is set to officially launch his manifesto today at the Teachers Hall in Accra for the upcoming MUSIGA January 2022 elections.
The manifesto launch is expected to be attended by a section of creative arts industry stakeholders, friends and fans of Bessa Simons.
Bessa Simons, who is also the acting MUSIGA president, told BEATWAVES that he will transform the union into an advanced one if elected as its president.
He said the current challenges in MUSIGA required the formulation of new policies to streamline its operations.
Speaking in an interview, he said MUSIGA is a great union and having served as its 1st Vice President during Bice Osei Kufuor aka Obour’s administration, “I have a very good appreciation of what the challenges and opportunities are.”
However, he explained that he decided to contest the election in order to fix such challenges.
Bessa Simons, who has been in the professional music business for the past three decades, believes that he is the best choice to succeed the former MUSIGA president, Obour, whose term of office as MUSIGA president ended in May 2019.
He promised to work hard to improve the living standards of members, adding he would use his expertise in the business field to assist Ghanaian musicians to find their feet in the industry.
He mentioned that when elected as MUSIGA president, his administration will be transparent and will involve the members of the union in decision-making.
Bessa, who said rebranding of the musicians’ body was part of his developmental agenda, assured the members of the union that his administration would be an all inclusive one.
According to him, MUSIGA was working tirelessly to provide every member with health insurance to cater for his or her health needs.
That, he said, was of paramount importance because an ailing membership would reflect a poor union.
As a prolific song writer, keyboardist and singer, he has worked with some great names in West African Music such as Pat Thomas, Papa Yankson, Kari Bannerman, Osibisa, C.K. Mann, Ebo Taylor, Gyedu Blay Ambolley and a host of others.
He is credited with five albums; ‘Sii Nana’, ‘Accra Junction’, ‘Life Album’, ‘Bessa Si Besa’ and ‘Akwaaba’.
BY George Clifford Owusu