President John Evans Atta Mills has lauded the contribution of musicians to national development, saying that they represent an important part of the human resource which government aims at developing through its policy of investing in people. He said this when he hosted winners of this year’s Ghana Music Awards at the Castle, Osu, in Accra. The winners were at the Castle to present their awards to the President, who said he had been impressed by their respective performances and the development of the music industry. "You have music for every occasion. We want to ensure we create the necessary environment for the growth of the music industry," President Mills assured them. The President however reminded them of the need to avoid lyrics that send negative messages to listeners, especially the youth who should be guided from indulging in social vices. He promised to look into the concerns of the industry, saying, "it is my prayer that you will be able to get what is due you, and we are there to encourage you." Vice President John Mahama called for the infusion of more home-made music into the modern ones. He assured them that government would ensure that they were given adequate protection so that they would not live in penury after their hard work. He called for accountability among artistes and assured them that the necessary measures would be instituted for the enhanced protection of their works. Mrs Diana Hopeson, President of the Musicians Union of Ghana, called for more government assistance, and particularly for a bus to enhance the operations of artistes. She, on behalf of the artistes, pledged their support towards the development of the country. Source: Ghanaian Times