It's Not Going Well ...Lucky Mensah Cries

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday April 27, 2010
Alex Mensah aka Lucky Mensah, the highlife musician who sung on the platforms for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2008 campaign is complaining bitterly about neglect by the NDC government.

He said in Fante, “Enko Yie”, literary meaning “It is not well”, adding “I have totally been neglected by the NDC. They have deserted me completely,” Lucky told Daily Guide in a telephone interview from his Pokuase residence near Accra.

He said ever since he stood on the campaign platform to sing for the NDC’s change for a ‘Better Ghana’ agenda, he had been shunned by majority of Ghanaians, making his music unattractive.

Lucky Mensah who composed and sung the popular hit “Come back to me” and even converted this same song in to an NDC campaign song said “My CDs are still stuck in the shops. Nobody is buying them. Since they came to power I have received the lowest sales in my career.”

He said “anytime I go to top NDC officials they do not even want to look at me. Can you imagine one of the Ministers recently was bold enough to tell me that I am not the only musician who sung for the NDC?”

“I chose to sing for the NDC because I loved the party. More so, all the musicians had joined the New Patriotic Party (NPP) campaign trail and I wanted the NDC and their sympathizers to remember that not all the musicians were against them.”

He said recently the government selected some musicians to sing for the senior national team, the Black Stars but when he sent his work for consideration it was rejected.

“I spent a lot of money on this work but they turned their backs at me. They rather accepted the works of those who turned their backs to them during the campaign. At least some of the bigwigs within the party should remember me”.

“I am struggling to cater for my three kids and a wife. I want to leave the country and seek greener pastures abroad,” he lamented.

He however said that he will remain an NDC sympathizer adding “I want to travel to re-strategise. I will come back to campaign for them. I am not an ungrateful person.”

Later in an interview, a certain Bediako, who claimed to be Lucky Mensah’s manager confirmed the musician’s predicament and said “sales has grounded ever since he stared in the NDC campaign”.

“He has been to the Castle many times but nobody would bother to talk to him. They treat him with contempt.”

“He is not a beggar. He owns a 14 bedroom storey building here in Accra. He only wants recognition from them. He risked his life to support their campaign but they have forgotten about him so soon,” Bediako charged.

Mr. Bediako however praised Mrs. Zita Okaikoi, Minister of Tourism, for her support but declined to mention other NDC officials who had recognized the musician.

“I have decided to send him abroad to start life but he would have to rethink.”

Also see : www.dailyguideghana.com