Shatta Wale
Dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale, has expressed interest in contesting for the Ablekuma South parliamentary seat only if the electorates call on him to serve as their representative in Parliament.
Speaking during an interview on the ‘Ekosiisen’ programme on Asempa FM on Wednesday, March 11, Shatta Wale said he will contest as an independent candidate, while emphasising that he wish not to force himself into the political space unless there is a clear demand from the people.
“I love Ghana so much. If the people of Ablekuma call me, I will definitely go. But I won’t say because I have money now, I’m coming to contest. When they call, I will go, but as an independent candidate,” he revealed.
He added that, “Ghana is a funny country. Sometimes when you decide to do something, that is when you have some people talking here and there. But I believe at the right time [things will fall in place].”
The artiste explained that he often draws inspiration from films and recently reflected on leadership after watching a series about Moses.
“Sometimes when I watch movies, I learn a lot from them. Recently, I was watching The Book of Moses on Netflix and I saw how stubborn Moses was when God was asking him to go back to Egypt,” he stated.
Shatta Wale disclosed that the docudrama series reminded him that leadership should sometimes come in response to a call from the people.
“I feel when the people call for it, I can stand out boldly. But I don’t want to come out myself and feel like I’m entering people’s business. When the people want it, that is when I can come out,” he explained.
Shatta Wale further called for policy reforms purposely to fit into the day-to-day challenges that confront the youth in the country.
“We are tired of the 1992 laws and constitution. We need to grow up from where we are. Other countries have grown, so we also need to look at how we can move forward,” he pointed out.
“If I have to go into any constituency, they should understand that we also have policies we want to implement into the system. That is what is going to work,” he noted.
According to the dancehall artiste, he prefers to focus on his personal life and career, but left the door open for his future political ambition.
Shatta Wale’s interest to contest for political position is born out of his long thirst for youth transformation in the country. This passion led to his SHAXI transport initiative, a collaboration with the Youth Enterprise Agency (YEA) to create thousands of employment for the masses.
He also launched the Shatta Foundation, focusing on education, healthcare and human capital development.
Somewhere in June 2024, Shatta Wale donated GH¢30,000 to the Buzstopboys, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to cleaning public spaces in Accra, to support their sanitation efforts. The donation was aimed at motivating the group in their sanitary works.
He has also donated GH¢20,000 to a young artist for her tertiary education, as well as donations to the James Camp Prisons located at Roman Ridge in Accra.
Some of the items donated include food items (bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil, sacks of sugar, boxes of spaghetti, boxes of frozen chicken wings, canned tomatoes, boxes of biscuits), laundry and bath soaps, boxes of toilet tissue, cartons of soft drinks, and dental care kits.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke