VGMAs gun saga 'broke my heart; I cried like a baby' – Blakofe

Stonebwoy pulling a gun at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) was the worst thing that could have happened that night, media personality, Blakofe, known in real life as Oheneba Akua Manfo, has said.

The former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC) told Felicity Naana Nelson on the Straight Talk programme on Class 91.3FM Thursday, 23 May 2019 that: “Seeing these two huge stars behave like that on stage, I cried like a baby”, adding: “When Ghana Music Awards started, I was part of the original team, I fought for the reggae category”.

“I love Stonebwoy, I love Shatta so much, I like the two of them. Shatta had no right at all going up that moment, it was Stonebwoy’s day. If you want to congratulate him, you wait and do it afterwards, so, Shatta made a mistake going on stage.

“But Stonebwoy pulling a gun was the worst thing that could have happened that night. Let Black Sidi slap Shatta, let the boys beat him but to pull out a gun on stage? That broke my heart.”

Meanwhile, Charterhouse, organisers of the VGMAs, have placed an indefinite ban on the two dancehall artistes and also stripped them of all the awards they won at the 20th edition of the VGMAs held last weekend at the Accra International Conference Centre.

The two have also been banned from performing at any of the VGMAs.

The sanctions were announced by Amandzeba Nat Brew, the Chairman of the 2019 VGMA Board, at a press conference organised by Charterhouse on Thursday, 23 May 2019.

“The Board of the 2019 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, given the actions of Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy, brought the name of the event into disrepute and, therefore, we wish to sanction the two as follows: both musicians are hereby banned indefinitely from participating in the nominations, selection, and performance at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards scheme. Also, the two artistes are hereby stripped of the awards they won at the 20th VGMAs and are, therefore, requested by the Board to return all the awards to Charterhouse effectively”.

Also, the two unannounced awards at the event – Artiste of the Year and Most Popular Song of Year – have been nullified.

Shatta Wale has announced that he will never ever be part of the Ghana Music Awards scheme again.



“Upon sober reflections of events in recent times and having made broader consultations, I wish to announce that I will not be part of the Ghana Music Awards scheme going forward. God bless!,” the Gringo hitmaker tweeted on Thursday, 23 May 2019 along with a picture of his bloody palm, suggesting he had made a blood oath.