George Quaye
George Quaye, Head of Communications at Charterhouse Ghana, organisers of the Ghana Music Awards, is hot over comments he had made on TV about Ghanaian gospel musicians paying the most bribes at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards to win awards.
The outspoken gentleman on Thursday made a u-turn to render an unqualified apology to the country’s gospel music community, saying his comments were “careless and wrong.”
According to him, he couldn’t justify his claims.
“It was unfortunate and it will not happen again,” George Quaye said in a press statement on Thursday.
Below is the full press statement culled from peacefmonline.com:
“On the Tuesday 24th January 2017 edition of the PUNDITS, a talk show that airs on GHOne TV and hosted by myself, I passed a comment that suggested that some gospel musicians had over the years attempted to influence VGMA officials, including me, in a bid to ensure that they won various awards in which they might have been nominated.”
“The comment was made in the context of the discussion which started our “Dark Side of GH Music Series”. A three part series that will touch on the various intricacies, complications, challenges, foibles of the industry practitioners, temptations and other bottlenecks confronting the music industry in Ghana.
In our discussion of the first part, which asked whether or not the envy, hatred and malice in Ghana’s Gospel fraternity were a myth or reality, with guests, Arnold Asamoah Baidoo, gospel heavyweight, Diana Hopeson and Gospel Artiste Manager and Producer, Kwesi Ernest, I passed the unfortunate comment to buttress points of human nature, hatred and backbiting made by my other guests. Indeed there is nothing I can say to justify the claims I made on the show and nothing that has been said by anyone even to confirm or support that assertion matters at this time. As the executive that speaks for the scheme, a comment like that shouldn’t have come from me regardless its veracity or otherwise. If anyone has challenged and asked musicians or industry players that have levelled similar against the scheme to either substantiate with evidence or withdraw and apologise, it has been me.
I, therefor,e take my own advice, totally withdraw and also apologise to the entire Gospel Music Community of Ghana for my rather careless comment. It was unfortunate and it will not happen again. THE PUNDITS will continue next Tuesday with the second part of the “Dark Side of GH Music” series and I will render a verbal apology on the show. Again, I totally apologise for casting that slur on the Ghanaian Gospel Music Industry and any individual who might have been offended in one way or the other.”
By Francis Addo