VGMA chaos: We failed – Creative Arts Minister

Ghana’s Tourism and Creative Arts Minister, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, has blamed her outfit and CharterHouse, organisers of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) for the chaos that erupted at the 20th anniversary of the event.

Chaos broke out at the music fiesta after Shatta Wale stormed the stage while Stonebwoy was receiving his award for emerging the Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the year for the fifth consecutive time.

Stonebwoy was seen on national TV pulling a gun on stage during the melee and had to be restrained by his associates. The stage fracas led to a long hold up of the prestigious event as security struggled to restore order between the two camps.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Monday on the development, the Tourism and Creative Arts Minister said the melee could have been prevented had her Ministry and organisers of the event took seriously security at the event.

“There was a little failure on our part as the Ministry and the organizers. Prior to the event, we noticed some banter between the fans of the musicians on social media. It would have been better if they engaged them,” Mrs Oteng Gyasi told Abban.

She added, “going forward, it is important measures are put in place to ensure the security of all audiences and participants.”

She said she was hurt and embarrassed by the chaos, urging fans from the camps of the two warring artistes to “cease-fire.”

“Let’s all remain calm and control the damage so no one is hurt,” she admonished.

Meanwhile, Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale were arrested by the Police over the gun incident on the VGMA stage Sunday dawn, Starrfm.com.gh has learnt.

The two are being detained by the Greater Accra Regional Police Command.

According to the police, they are assisting in investigations as moves are being made to get more people to aid in those investigations.

Stonebwoy had since apologized for the incident, saying: “I am really sorry for the incident that happened earlier on and I only had to react out of natural instincts because we all know how premeditative some people can be.”

“I come in peace and I go in peace and I apologise to the whole masses of Ghana that the Awards is going to continue. Thank you very much for supporting my music, for supporting everybody else’s music…by their deeds we have all seen,” he added.