Renowned music producer and a staunch member of Alliance for Change, Edward Nana Poku Osei (Hammer), has said the group's incessant campaign to get Rex Omar out of office as Chairman for the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) is not sparked by hatred for the veteran as some are postulating, but rather his display of gross ineptitude in running the royalties collection agency.
"Someone should tell Rex that we don't hate him," Hammer highlighted. "We know he is a great artiste but he can't run GHAMRO. He doesn't have a clue and that is not a sin. Just leave for someone who can do it."
Over the years, there have been calls on leadership of GHAMRO to do things right in order to ensure that the right owners do not work in vain.
The desire of Ghanaian artistes and copyright owners to see a rapid paradigm shift in the enforcement of payment, collection and distribution of royalties in the manner it should, stoked advocacy from some stakeholders, resulting in the formation of Alliance for Change.
Among others, the group is demanding total digitization of the royalties collection systems, establishment of radio logging systems, pay per play for music on radio & TV, total restructuring of our CMO to conform to the global standards.
The rigorous campaign against Rex Omar's administration appears to have created an impression that members of Alliance for Change dislike the GHAMRO chairman hence the criticisms.
"Many people think the alliance actually hates Rex because we believe Rex is worse than the word worse. No!" said Hammer. "Rex is an honourable human being and an artiste. He just happens to be not fit to be chairman of GHAMRO."
Laying the basis for his argument, Hammer, an authority of the alliance said, "We are talking about policy, we are talking about direction and all that comes from the chairman. We know you have failed so don't make it look like we are targeting Rex."
According to Hammer, there has always been a wrong perception that "because you have been in the industry for a while, you qualify to run GHAMRO".
Admitting that he [Hammer] is not fit to be GHAMRO Chairman, the celebrated producer who is now the Chief Marketing Officer of A1 Bakery, producers of A1 Bread, said "Just because I'm a veteran and a musician doesn't give me any authority to just go and stand for GHAMRO chairmanship."
He mentioned that he is rather good at research and marketing, stressing that it is imperative for one to know one's capabilities instead of accepting a portfolio they are clueless about.
On March 19, 2017, Rex Omar, music producer Ahmed Banda (Bandex) and gospel musician Diana Hopeson were elected Chairman, 1st and 2nd Vice-Chairpersons respectively.
The trio were elected in a privately conducted elections by the rest of the new thirteen-member board in Accra.
According to the constitution of GHAMRO, the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of the Board shall serve for a term of four years and may seek re-election as Chairman and Vice-Chairmen for another term only.
