The punishment meted out to Ghanaian reggae and dancehall artistes Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale by Charterhouse, organisers of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs), was too severe and rushed, private legal practitioner Maurice Ampaw has said.

The punishment meted out to Ghanaian reggae and dancehall artistes Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale by Charterhouse, organisers of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs), was too severe and rushed, private legal practitioner Maurice Ampaw has said.

For pulling a gun on stage and causing a brawl between their supporters during the 20th edition of the VGMAs, Charterhouse banned both Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale indefinitely from participating in the awards scheme.

The rival artistes were also banned from performing on any VGMAs stage and further stripped of the awards they won on the night of the event.

Commenting on the development in an interview with Nana Kwesi Asare on The Big Show on Class 91.3FM on Saturday, 25 May 2019, Mr Ampaw said Charterhouse should have waited for the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) to intervene and not hastily decide on an indefinite ban.

“To me, the whole sanction was in a haste; it was so premature. Charterhouse should have waited for MUSIGA and the minister to have met them [Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale] to find solutions to the situation in a brotherly consultation. They should have administered a punishment that will not be so harsh. What you [Charterhouse] can do is to either sanction them – even for one year – and say: ‘Tthe following year, you are not part of the programme’”.

In his opinion, “the awards were earned on merit and based on people’s votes, so, if you want to touch or want to nullify the votes of the people, don’t you know that it goes against the constitution?” he quizzed.


Background

The confusion between Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy happened when the latter was announced as the Reggae Dancehall Artiste of the Year.

Shatta Wale and his fans approached the podium to, ostensibly congratulate Stonebwoy, but events turned chaotic resulting in a lot of pushing and shoving – a situation that prompted Stonebwoy to pull a pistol.

Someone in the auditorium also pepper-sprayed the stage.

The panic-stricken audience had to run out of the auditorium with laboured breath due to the pepper spray.

Shatta Wale’s management alleged that he only went on the stage to congratulate Stonebwoy.