A former Vice-President of the Musicians Association of Ghana (MUSIGA), Togbe Edinam Ansah, on Tuesday urged the leadership of the Association to expedite action on compensation for some members who got involved in an accident while returning from a MUSIGA congress in Sunyani in November 2007.

Togbe Ansah told the GNA on Tuesday that response from the MUSIGA leadership so far had been slow and disappointing. He said the MUSIGA should not make the group believe that it could "leave them in the cold" as it (Association) should have some welfare policy covering its members.

Togbe Ansah said those of them involved in the accident had been left to nurse their injuries at home without any form of commiseration from the Association. He said he has been living with a permanent pain in the spine as a result of the accident.

Khex Pongo, known in showbiz as President Khex, said the accident victims could not even trace the vehicle hired by the Association for them,for its particulars to prosecute their case. Mr Seth Tsikata, a victim of the accident, said he had a dislocated left arm and a cut on the forehead which he treated on his own at great cost.

He said he submitted the receipts covering the cost of treatment to MUSIGA but all attempts to claim the cost had been to no avail. When contacted, Mrs Diana Hopeson, MUSIGA President, said "it is not like MUSIGA is not doing anything about the issue" and explained that the process was slow and replete with many impediments.

She appealed for the support of the victims to enable MUSIGA to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion, claiming she had had to take on a private insurance broker at great cost to handle the issue. Mrs Hopeson confirmed that the vehicle was indeed hired for the group by MUSIGA and that MUSIGA was doing all it could to put the matter to rest.

Source: GNA