Okraku Mantey
Mark Okraku Mantey has taken a swipe at highlife legend Pat Thomas over his inability to perform at a highlife concert in Kumasi, organised by the Hitz FM manager.
Pat Thomas, earlier reports alleged, didn’t show up for the concert because he took ill.
However, speaking on Happy FM in Accra, Mark disclosed that he received information that Pat Thomas refused to show up over complaints that young artistes who were billed to perform with him on the day were paid higher sums of money than he was paid.
“This is jealousy and greed because the likes of Kwabena Kwabena, Kidi and Kwame Eugene are your grandchildren, under normal circumstances, our children are supposed to be prosperous than us,” he stated.
“I heard he was sick, I heard he wasn’t okay because the likes of Kwabena, Kwabena, Kidi and Kwame Eugene were paid higher. But I told him it is not done in such manner. He said it openly that their money was bigger than his. I however told Pat Thomas if it is even true that, the young guys are taking bigger than you there is nothing wrong with that, which he admitted but he still demanded for more,” Mark revealed.
He continued, “Most of the industry players are not like that but some of the old musicians behave this way. He thinks he is grown and has seen it all so he is not a loser if he decides to boycott the concert.”
According to Mark, Pat Thomas was originally not part of performers but one Yaw Osborn “lobbied for him and it is allowed in our kind of job, he pushed us to put Pat Thomas on. So I told Yaw Osborn that we don’t have laws because the budget was huge, we do not have any excesses so if Pat comes we will give him a particular amount.”
“So when he came for the amount I, unfortunately, gave out the money without signing, I never knew how I was pressured by Yaw Osborn, for giving the money out without signing a contract. Sometimes we do it because we know the situation in the industry. However, for him to say he was not sick but he was absent because of the money, I was surprised and it is a cross Pat Thomas will carry,” he concluded.