Okalla fails to identify father's body

Musiga calls for radio policy to check influx of foreign songs

Akim Swedru (Central Region), 8^th June 99 -

Popular comedian Bob Okalla, took his act a bit too far, when he was unable to identify his father's body at the mortuary and instead took another body and buried.

Neither Okalla, the reigning chief comedian, nor members of his family could recognise the body of Opanin Martin Ampomah, Okalla's father, at the Akim Oda Government Hospital mortuary on March 26 and instead took that of Kwesi Bosompem for burial.

The error was detected when Bosompem's family went to collect his body a week later, and found it missing.

A police source told the GNA at Akim Oda investigations revealed that Ampomah's family had buried the wrong corpse. Okalla's family was made to exhume the body of Bosompem, which had not decomposed because it had been well embalmed, for the right thing to be done.

A source at the hospital said the unfortunate situation arose as a result of the decision of the family of Ampomah to identify him by the face instead of by the tag.

GRi…/

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Tamale (Northern Region) 8^th June ’99

The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has called on the government to come out with a policy to regulate the influx of foreign and profane songs into the country.

Alhaji Sidiku Buari, President of the Union who made the call in Tamale on Saturday, said such a policy will also preserve the country's cultural heritage and help local artistes to break even.

He was addressing a regional congress of MUSIGA at which a seven-member regional executive chaired by Mr. Delali Alormenu was elected into office.

The congress was preceded by a musical concert night at Tamale Main Taxi rank that attracted a large audience who were entertained to highlife, reggae and traditional songs to mark the June Four Uprising.

Alhaji Buari called on musicians in the region to make use of traditional instruments in their compositions and focus on lyrics that will heal the wounds of the 1994 ethnic conflict.

He said MUSIGA has signed a contract with the International Federation of Musicians in France to monitor the works of musicians in Ghana to enable them to benefit from royalties due them.

Mr. Blessed Gregory Nana Gazor, first Vice-President of MUSIGA, said the union would soon institute a censorship board to check the release of profane and other songs which encourage anti-social behaviour, especially among the youth.

Mrs. Diana Akiyumi, second vice-president, said she would organise a meeting of female musicians to promote their welfare and support up-and- coming female artistes.

Mr. A.A. Konlan, regional Secretary of MUSIGA, complained about the difficulty musicians face in getting sponsorship for production.

He said there are only two studios in the region and desperate musicians have to travel to the south to record their songs.

He, therefore, appealed to the national executive of MUSIGA to help find a solution to the problem.

GRi../

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