Tuesday, June 07, 2011
• Braide
Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section

One of the leading highlife musicians in Rivers State, Chief Vincent Braide popularly known as ‘The Great Sinya’ is in trouble and unless Governor Chibuike Amaechi comes to the rescue, the elderly artiste may be forced to flee town.

At the centre of his plight is a recorded DVD song entitled “Amaechi 2011 Special” which he did in support of the governor’s re-election campaign.
Although the Bakana-born Kalabari singer insists that the musical work was done free and “without any contractual arrangements or financial considerations” for his “highly respected hardworking governor”, members of his band think otherwise and want him to cough out what was supposedly handed down from Government House, Port Harcourt.

So far, the artiste who leads The Great Sinya and His Sea-Masters Dance Band of Africa has made vain efforts to either convince or even confuse his band members to believe his tale. His accusers were quick to plead the alibi that Governor Amaechi allegedly doled out some cash to all those who worked for him including the State chapter of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN).

When the man’s denial and reasoning drew blank, he dispatched letters in quick succession to the governor to help prove his innocence. Unfortunately, the cankerworm called “protocol” seemed to have eaten up the letters and no response has been received.

Now frustrated, the man has fired an open letter to Governor Amaechi urging to be exonerated.
Also, in case there was any appreciation gift meant for his group but lost in transit, he would want whatever went to the goose to be extended to the gander. In the crowded two-page “Open Letter to His Excellency”, copy of which was made available to Daily Sun, Chief Braide recounted his sad experience and appealed to the governor to intervene.
“Just after the result of Your Excellency’s victory was announced, my colleagues stormed at my residence at No. 4A Elechi Beach, Mile One, Diobu, Port Harcourt, with a very powerful allegation that I have received huge sums of money from Government House in respect of ‘Amaechi 2011 Special’.

“They argued and stressed that in the month of April, 2011, Your Excellency gave some assistance to all those who worked for you including the Rivers State Branch of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and questioned why should the Great Sinya and His Sea-Masters Dance Band of Africa that did a good work for Your Excellency during the campaign be excluded or forgotten in Your Excellency assistance and that what Your Excellency has approved and released for us is missing in transit.
Chief Braide appealed to the governor to “remember us in your usual generous manner” so that his group could also “joyfully rejoice with Your Excellency in this your well-deserved victory”