A scene from swearing in ceremony
A new board for the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), a collective society for music right owners, has been sworn into office to manage the affairs of rights ownership for the next four years.
The ceremony, which was held at the headquarters of the collective society in Accra, was graced by some of the creative arts industry stakeholders, the media, among others.
The board is made up of Rex Owusu Marfo (Rex Omar) as the Chairman, with Kofi Abraham, Diana Hopeson, Elizabeth Tagoe, Yaw Agyeman Badu (YABS), Francis Boahene and Francis Omari Adofo (Agyapaye) as members.
Speaking after the ceremony, the Chairman, Rex Omar, who congratulated GHAMRO for holding a successful elections, said they were going to work in line with the constitution of the society.
The chairman also thanked the members of the society for voting the new executives into office.
He promised the musicians that the next four years of their tenure in office will see an improvement in stakeholders’ royalties.
The board chairman pledged the commitment of the board to help drive the GHAMRO into prosperity. He urged all music stakeholders to support the organisation to deliver its mandates as enshrined in its constitution.
GHAMRO was established under Copyright Act 690 of 2005, and regulated by Legislative Instrument 1962 of 2010. It is the only organisation mandated by the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice to licence, collect and distribute royalties on behalf of music right holders in Ghana.
Before 2005, that function had been operated by the Copyright Society of Ghana (COSGA). The organisation has faced regular criticisms about its transparency and engagement of stakeholders.
Abraham Adjartey, popularly known as Captain Abraham, is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organisation.
BY George Clifford Owusu