Leave Vodafone out of Shatta/ Charterhouse feud

Dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale has always been a crowd puller and he proved that at the  Vodafone VIM launch concert hosted at the Trade Fair Centre, La, last week.

His appearance as the headline act at an event organised by the telecommunications company which sponsors the annual Vodafone Ghana Music Awards(VGMA) sent positive signals of Kakai singer’s return to the biggest event on the nation’s entertainment calendar.

But Chris Koney, a member of Shatta Wale’s management team slammed any such move when he spoke with Showbiz on Tuesday.

“It will be unfair to draw Vodafone into this issue. Shatta Wale endorsed a product from Vodafone and this new relationship has got nothing to do with the VGMA,” he said.

Shatta Wale locked horns with Charterhouse, organisers of the VGMA in 2014 when the latter sued Shatta for defamation, seeking damages of GH¢10M. 

This was after the Mahama Paper hitmaker uploaded derogatory videos about the events company and its CEO, Iyiola Ayoade on his Facebook page. After a three year legal battle, the case is still pending in court.

According to Mr Koney, Shatta Wale who is currently ruling the airwaves with his Taking Over banger, was selected by the telecommunications company based on his unique qualities as a talented young artiste.

“ Vodafone believes in Shatta’s can do spirit which has seen him on top of his game for years and the VIM innovation for young people champions such a trait. 

“ Shatta was therefore chosen out of the multitude to use his brand to encourage young people to be creative and harness entrepreneurial skills as he, Shatta, has been advocating for years,” he noted.

Interestingly, Shatta used the VIM launch concert to express his displeasure at Charterhouse on his continuous exclusion from the music awards event.

According to a report by entertainmentgh.com, the Dancehall artiste stated that if Charterhouse will not give him awards, his fans and Ghanaians will continue to support his career and give him shows to perform which  to him, was of topmost importance.

When Showbiz asked Chris if the Shatta camp would welcome news to have the artiste back on the VGMA scheme, he was not forthright with the answer.

“This is not an issue that has come up for discussion and so I can’t give an answer,” he said.