SHOWBIZ KONKONSAH
Shatta Wale causes confusion at Parliament
Ghanaian artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr. also known as Shatta Wale was a subject of discussion after MPs on the Public Account Committee (PAC) questioned the basis for which state-owned Exim Bank allegedly doled out ¢2 million to him.
Ras Mubarak, a member of the Committee said it makes no economic sense for the company to pay such an amount to an artiste to promote Made in Ghana Goods.
“I mentioned ¢2 million that went to Shatta Wale but the Deputy CEO says they wouldn’t know who the vendor selected and this is not to say that we have a problem with Shatta Wale getting some amount of money to do whatever work.
“But the Ghanaian public deserves to know how much went out and who got it because their answers were not satisfying,” the legislator stressed.
Mr. Mubarak’s concerns follow media reports suggesting that the bank paid some huge sums of monies to Shatta Wale and actor and comedian, Kofi Adu, popularly known as “Agya Koo” to be its brand ambassadors.
But responding to the matter at PAC sitting Wednesday, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer with oversight of the Finance and Administration Division, Kwame Adu-Darkwa said the bank only engaged the services of a media consultant to support them in promoting their product since it was necessary.
He, however, insisted that he has not signed or sighted any cheque doling ¢2 million to any artiste.
“You will be surprised how brand ambassadors can be good for promoting a particular sector. Sometimes what needs to be done is that if you have done incredible work, it will be good for people to know what their options are, and having a good brand ambassador to do that makes sense.”
But Ras Mubarak, who is MP for Kumbungu, believes the money could have been invested in provision of water and other basic amenities for rural communities.
He told Accra-based JoyNews that compared to other mature artists, Shatta Wale does not deserve the GH¢2 million given to him.
Meanwhile, Chairman of PAC, James Klutse Avedzi said the Committee will invite officials of the bank to present details of the said payments to Shatta Wale and others.
The Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM) was established by the Ghana Export-Import Bank Act 2016 (Act 911) to support the Government of Ghana’s quest for a feasible and sustainable export-led economy.
The mission of the bank is to facilitate the transformation of Ghana’s economy into an export one by supporting and developing trade between Ghana and other countries, overseas investments by Ghanaian companies, and eliminate critical market failures in the Ghanaian economy thereby making Ghana competitive in the global marketplace.
Source: Daily Mail GH
