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Activist Reggae Musician and popular radio
presenter, Blakk Rasta, has confirmed to News-
One he has resigned his job as host of Hitz
Fm's 'Taxi Driver' show and cut ties with
Multimedia Group, owners of the station.
"I was still on the radio [Monday
morning] when I tendered my
resignation. I have been with
Multimedia for eight years and I
think it is time to move on because
I am no longer inspired there and
of course, a few other things
happened here and there that made
me feel betrayed," Blakk Rasta
confirmed to NEWS-ONE during a
telephone interview.
The popular reggae musician denied
vehemently that he was sacked by
the station or forced to resign
under duress. "No one sacked me.
If I was sacked I would have told
you because there is nothing
embarrassing about it. I resigned
and when I handed them my letter,
they even said I had to refund to
them a month's salary because I
resigned without serving them
prior notice."
Blakk Rasta recently made headline
news when he was summoned
before Ghana's Parliament after he
had campaigned on radio for the
decriminalisation of marijuana use
in Ghana and alleged that some 80
percent of parliamentarians use
ganja.
The award-winning musician did
not mince words in disclosing
to News-One that the ripple effects
of that invitation were part of the
factors which led to his resignation
from Hitz Fm.
"When I was invited by
Parliament, my employers did not
even sit me down before the
invitation so we plan on what
exactly we should say there and
how things should go, they did not
get a lawyer for me, nothing;
nothing like that happened. Even
my HR who was there knew next to
nothing about the incident when he
was questioned about the issue and
what exactly I had said.
"I did not get any support from
Multimedia, which I thought was
unfair. I thought once I was with
you, I should get your support.
Even if you do not agree with what
I said, you can go and say you do
not agree and that you are pleading
for clemency. But that was not
done and I even had to look for my
own lawyer.
"No one was interested in my
wellbeing as far as that invitation
was concerned; but they were
rather interested in the story and
in getting the news, so they
[Multimedia] set up their gadgets
and carried the news live both on
radio and television," Blakk
narrated to News-One .
When News-One called the
Programmes Manager for Hitz FM,
Mark Okraku Mantey, on phone to
cross check from him the veracity
or otherwise of Blakk Rasta's
allegation, he could not speak to the
matter because there was a lot of
noise in the background and the
conversation was barely audible.
Okraku Mantey, however, asked
that the paper call him back later
in the evening but his phone was
not answered when the paper
called back, and a text message
sent to his phone over the matter
was also not responded to as at
press time yesterday.
Blakk was emphatic that he felt his
work was not appreciated by his
employers and that they even
placed an embargo on his songs
after the invitation by Parliament.
"It has been a nice family but I
now feel uncomfortable. I feel
betrayed and I am not inspired
anymore to work with these
people. This slip could happen to
anybody but it depends on how you
handle it; but I was betrayed and I
had to go look for my own lawyer, I
went there on my own and even
after that, not even one person
from Multimedia has called me to
talk to me about it and the way
forward.
"What they rather did was to go
ahead and ban my songs on radio
saying that I do not attend station
gatherings and all that so my songs
should not be played on radio.
What is this? I don't intend
granting interviews or talking about
this because I have been working
with this station for eight solid
years.
"I think Multimedia is not
appreciative of my work and
commitment. Time and again, I
have heard them make utterances
that make me feel I am not
appreciated and my die-hard
passion is not appreciated. I put in
all my passion and energy but this
afternoon, I just decided to tender
in my resignation.
What Next For Blakk?
"Next week, I am travelling to Italy
for the Milan Expo and I would be
representing Ghana on the ticket of
the Trade Ministry and we are
bringing home an award. Right
after that, I am going to America,
then Australia and then Trinidad
and Tobago. It looks like the
outsiders seem to appreciate my
works more and I am looking
forward to using this platform to
push my 'Serwa Akoto' on the
international scene.
"I hope to be back in the media
soon. Long before my resignation,
some stations had approached me
but I did not give in. I am not sure
which station I would be moving to
because it would be about the
biggest bidder and who would
appreciate me and respect what I
do."
Source: News one
