She said she prepared Obuor to be her successor and that she would even play an advisory role to Obuor to prepare the next MUSIGA President.

“Well, every good leader prepares who takes over from him. So it is not wrong that I had the support of my predecessor and I also threw my support behind Obour,” she said.

“Oh yes, I’ll advise Obuor on who to groom to take over from him,” Mrs. Hopeson added.

This presupposes that Obuor might be grooming a possible candidate to vie for his position on the expiration of his term.

Strange?

Well, with about two years for the Musician’s Union of Ghana to elect new executives, the question of who succeeds current President, Bice ‘Obuor’ Osei Kuffuor (who is serving his second term), is rife.

Obuor as MUSIGA President

Obuor acceded the Presidency of MUSIGA in 2011 beating Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Nana Tuffour and Willie Roi to make history as the youngest MUSIGA president ever in Ghana. He took over from Diana Hopeson.

His AJUMAPA policy which was the fulcrum of his campaign message promised good Administration, Jobs, Unity, Music business, Ageing, Policies and Achievements.

In 2015, Gyedu Blay Ambolley and Appietus contested Obuor but they were walloped in the elections held at the Oyinka Hotel in Koforidua.

Obuor’s administration has come under serious criticism by people who think his policies are not improving their careers.

A major flak Obuor has received from some stakeholders of the music industry is using the GHc 2m budgetary allocation given to the music sector in 2012 to do impact assessment. According to critics, there were more pressing needs of the union than doing a research on how much the sector contributed to the Gross Domestic Product of the country.

However, the MUSIGA President has asserted on several occasions he has delivered on most of his AJUMAPA campaign promises.

Others have, however, commended him for instituting viable policies that have served the interest of its members.

Since he became MUSIGA President he has established the Ghana Music Week which has served as platform for musicians to showcase their craft.

The MUSIGA Grand Ball has been an initiative that has for the past years helped solicit financial support from individuals and corporate institutions to fund the Ageing Musicians’ Welfare Fund, another Obuor-policy that has cushioned some aged musicians in the union.

In collaboration with School of Performing Arts (S.P.A) and National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Obuor has founded MUSIGA ACADEMY, to provide professional training and skills for players in the Music Industry. Already the first batch of trainees has passed out and the courses are still running.

…so after Obuor, who next?

Obuor has had his challenges, he has made glaring mistakes and glossed over certain pressing matters but he has also chalked a lot of successes in his tenures as MUSIGA President.

Therefore, the issue of whoever takes over from him is very crucial to the union. The next MUSIGA President would have a big challenge – to do better than Obuor. This, is because Obuor has been the best MUSIGA President so far.

Already, some names have come up even though the named personalities have not expressed their intentions to contest in the next elections due for 2019.

Some of the names on the lips of entertainment stakeholders are:

Emmanuel Andrew Samini (Samini) – composer/performer

Appiah Dankwah (Appeitus) – music producer

Desmond Blackmore (D-Black) – musician/entrepreneur

Richie Mensah – Singer and producer

Kwame Nsiah—Apau (Okyeame Kwame) – composer/ performer

Gyedu Blay Ambolley – composer/performer

Conclusion

No matter what Obuor adds to or takes away from his achievements as MUSIGA President, somebody must take over from him, at the end of his tenure. Who will that be?

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By: Kwame Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kwame Dadzie writes: Who takes over from Obuor as MUSIGA President? [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Music duo Gallaxy who are not satisfied with accounts made by MUSIGA President Bice ‘Obuor’ Osei Kuffuor, told Citi Showbiz that the President should publish a breakdown of how the money was spent.

“We doubt his figures. How can you use GH¢ 800, 000 for research, another GH¢ 800, 000 for music festival, and share the remaining for your administration? They should give us the breakdown. We want to know. They should publish it in the media for us to see,” they said.

Gallaxy added MUSIGA has disappointed the music industry by using the government fund for things that were not the industry’s priority.

“We have a lot of pressing needs like performance centres, studios and others. They have just wasted the money and must account for it into detail. They must account for every pesewa,” they noted.

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with Citi Showbiz, the President of the Musicians Union of Ghana explained that the union used the budget allocation judiciously.

According to him, the government granted only two of the components they presented in their proposal and so could not have used the money for all the other things the musicians are suggesting.

“…after reading through our proposal, the government said it could only grant two of our requests and those components were what the 2012 budget statement for the arts captured,” he said.

Obour further explained the GH¢ 2 million was earmarked for impact assessment of the music industryand the 2012 Music Fair, as was captured in the 2012 budget statement.

According to Obour, about GH¢ 800,000 used to pay for the research and its execution (eg. Paying research consultants) and GH¢ 800, 000 was also used for the Music Fair. About GH¢ 400, 000 was used for Institutional Strengthening and GH¢ 100, 000 was given to the Ghana Association of Phonographic Industries for their administration needs.

He said the results of the research has benefited the industry in diverse ways and is hopeful its long-term effects would manifest with the passage of time.

The GH¢ 2 million was given to the music sector in 2012 as part of government allocation in its fiscal budget.

Gallaxy, noted for hit songs like ‘Bokoboko,’ ‘Qualities,’ ‘Dab,’ ‘Gborgborvor,’ ‘Holla at Me’ and Woti Ate which takes a swipe at the MUSIGA President.

–

By: Kwame Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Publish breakdown of the GH¢ 2m – Gallaxy to Obuor appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Although several cancers are caused by infections, Cancer Research UK says it is too early to add prostate cancer to this list.

The University of California scientists tested human prostate cells in the lab.

They found a sex infection called trichomoniasis aided cancer growth.

More research is now needed to confirm the link, they say in the journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Sex infection

Trichomoniasis is believed to infect some 275 million people worldwide and is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection.

Often, a person will have no symptoms and be unaware that they have it.

Men may feel itching or irritation inside the penis, burning after urination or ejaculation, or a white discharge from the penis.

Women may notice itching or soreness of the genitals, discomfort with urination, or a discharge with an unpleasant fishy smell.

This latest research is not the first to suggest a link between trichomoniasis and prostate cancer. A study in 2009 found a quarter of men with prostate cancer showed signs of trichomoniasis, and these men were more likely to have advanced tumours.

The PNAS study suggests how the sexually transmitted infection might make men more vulnerable to prostate cancer, although it is not definitive proof of such a link.

Prof Patricia Johnson and colleagues found the parasite that causes trichomoniasis – Trichomonas vaginalis – secretes a protein that causes inflammation and increased growth and invasion of benign and cancerous prostate cells.

They say more studies should now follow to further explore this finding – particularly since we still do not know what causes prostate cancer.

Nicola Smith, health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: “This study suggests a possible way the parasite Trichomonas vaginaliscould encourage prostate cancer cells to grow and develop more quickly.

“But the research was only done in the lab, and previous evidence in patients failed to show a clear link between prostate cancer and this common sexually transmitted infection.

“There’s been a lot of research into prostate cancer risk and we’re working hard to piece together the puzzle.

“But there are still no known lifestyle factors that seem to affect the risk of developing the disease – and no convincing evidence for a link with infection.

“The risk of prostate cancer is known to increase with age.”

Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in men in the UK – about one in nine men will get it at some point in their lives.

It is more common in men over 70, and there appears to be some genetic risk since the disease can run in families.

Source: BBC

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