By Enock Akonnor (Managing Editor)
Zakaria Abdulai, Board Chairman of the Audiovisual Rights Society of Ghana (ARSOG), has issued a passionate appeal to government to immediately appoint a substantive administrator for the Copyright office , warning that continued inaction is pushing Ghana’s creative industry toward collapse.
Speaking to www.leakyghana.com at the sidelines of ARSOG’s first Annual General Meeting held in Kumasi, Mr. Abdulai who is popularly known as “Zack” in the creative industry, emphasized that the prolonged leadership vacuum at the copyright office is crippling the agency’s ability to carry out its core responsibilities, particularly the collection and distribution of royalties to copyright holders and fight against music and video piracy.
He lamented that for years, artists and rights holders have been denied their fair share of earnings from the commercial use of their works, as radio stations, hotels, restaurants, and other institutions continue to operate without remitting royalties.
“This is not just unfortunate. it’s unjust,” Mr. Abdulai stated. “Our creatives are producing music, films, and other intellectual works without seeing any returns, and it’s killing motivation across the industry.”
He stressed that the Copyright office, as a legally established body, must be properly resourced and led by competent, permanent leadership if it is to fulfill its mandate and ensure that creatives are protected and rewarded.
“If the government fails to act,” he warned, “there will come a time when no artist or producer will bother to create anything because what’s the point of investing in your talent when the system does nothing to protect your rights?”
Source; www.leakyghana.com
Enock Akonnor is an experienced Ghanaian journalist, based in Kumasi and currently serves as the CEO and Managing Editor of www.leakyghana.com.
With a wealth of expertise built over many years in the media industry, he has earned a solid reputation as one of Ghana’s most sought-after journalists.
Contact:
📞 +233 541 921 562
✉️ enockakonnor2013@gmail.com
