Few weeks ago, it emerged that the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) has somewhat come to a decision that, the organizers of the existing Ghana Movie Awards, led by Mr. Fred Nuamah have not given them the necessary recognition and have failed to accord them the needed respect—over the years.

The above together with the obvious weakness of the Ghana Movie Awards scheme have made it necessary for them to organize their own award scheme, to reward excellence within the Ghanaian Movie Industry.

Even though I doubt the competence of FIPAG and I cannot foresee any reason why I should think they will be good award organisers or planners, I still believe they have the right to organise an award scheme—more like a constitutional right to do certain things which are not prohibited by law.

Therefore, FIPAG can decide to organize 50 awards in a year to award their members and non-members who are interested. They can even decide to organize an award for just themselves or organize some for their unborn children—no one can really stop them from doing so.

However, they need to cut the CRAP—and by this, I mean, they do not have any standing authority or right to ask, compel, request, direct, bully or put under coercion anybody (be it their members or non-members) not to participate in other award schemes.

Do those championing this absurd directive or whatever they call it think we are under some celestial dictatorial rule, with them being the supreme leaders or what? You cannot even make such illegitimate call in North Korea, and you want to do so in Ghana—where people have freedom of association and have a right to submit their intellectual properties to whoever they consider fit.

The unpardonable attitude of monopoly and fear of competition entrenched in the minds of certain Ghanaians need to evaporate—because we live in a perfect competition market. If already there is a Ghana Movie Award scheme and for whatever reason FIPGA wants to organise their own, they can go ahead and freely do so.

But this gross act of sabotage being peddled on unjustified threats to the members of FIPAG by its leaders, backed by some dark cult of production and distribution ‘mafia-rism’ should not be tolerated.

For Christ sake, if Fred Nuamah is pushing his award scheme down the drain and you do find any existing prestige left in the award scheme, organise yours and let him do whatever he wants (that is if he wants to continue down the drain or fix things). You cannot employ some illegal Soviet Union tactics to tear down his award scheme, simply because you want to erect your own.

If you cannot support him, you are not under any obligation—be it moral or legal to do so. But you cannot through calculated actions or omissions set off to destroy his award scheme by asking those who willingly submit their movies not to do so.

Several movie award schemes exist in UK, USA, Canada, Germany and other places. They all co-exist while striving to be the best. The act of sabotage which hurts the principles of competition is a clear indication of laziness, insecurities or lack of confidence in your ability to exile with others being around.

The leaders of FIPAG like to issue a lot of directives, and I am waiting for the day they will issue a directive on their incompetence, pettiness and inability to make any real impact in the lives of their dues paying members!