Many people made it a point to watch the much publicised 2019 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) which also coincided with the 20th Anniversary of the event.
All was well until after Gilbert Abeiku Santa mounted the podium to announce winner of the ‘Reggae Dancehall Artiste of the Year.’
“And the winner is Stonebwoy,” he said.
That momentous announcement was special because Stonebwoy was picking the award for record fifth time. The events that followed that announcement are better left untold.
The reactions of Shata Wale and Stonebwoy as captured on television screens perhaps tell the story better for those who watched the event on television. Both artistes, for lack of better word had been sitting on tenterhooks before the announcement of the winner.
Members of the Bhim Nation fraternity could not wait and joined their leader, who meritoriously was adjudged the ‘King’ of Reggae Dancehall in Ghana, on stage to pick his award.
Then came the group from the other divide-the army of Shatta Movement who trooped to the podium, leaving tongues wagging as patrons watched on in awe-there is confusion. Yes there is pandemonium!
It then turned fight for all and manager of Stonebwoy, Black Cedi was seen exchanging blows with some fans of Shatta Wale. And suddenly the newly crowned ‘Dancehall Artiste of the Year’ pulled a pistol.
From the awards ball to the police cells; that’s the long and short of what started as a love story. Both Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale were granted bail to the tune of GH¢50,000.00 after pleading not guilty to offensive conduct and display of weapon in public place without authority when they appeared before an Accra District Court.
The duo were later handed with indefinite ban by Charterhouse.
Music in our part of the world can hardly pass without ‘beef’ and ‘diss’.
As humans, there certainly would be disagreements over views and scuffle which can even lead to ‘beefs’. Artistes could use the ‘beefs’ to express their opinions but they should be guarded so they do not degenerate into physical attacks.
Saturday’s brouhaha couldn’t pass without a look at security in general at the Dome.
How secured and protected were patrons at the event?
A school of thought is that Stonebwoy felt unsecured or threatened by the presence of Shatta Wale and his ‘militants’ on stage.
Security at the VGMA was porous and going forward, security issues should not be taken for granted.
I wonder how Stonebwoy managed to carry a gun into the auditorium to the extent that he pulled it on stage at the blind side of security operatives. That’s a million question begging for answers.
Did that mean people, by inference, managed to enter the event ground with guns unceremoniously?
We have only one Ghana. Imagine what would have happened if there were gunshots at the VGMAs. Your guess is as good as mine. Chaotic!
Let’s be mindful of our security, especially on occasions like the VGMAs and all other events which bring people together.
Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy/Facebook: Ewuradjoa Abedu-Kennedy/ Email: ewuradjoakennedy@gmail.com