Roads minister’s campaign team threatens legal action against newspaper over 80,000 payment to musician
The campaign task-force of the incumbent member of parliament for Tamale Central, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, has rubbished a Daily Guide newspaper report which said that he paid self-acclaimed popular Ghanaian musician, Shatta Wale, a whopping 80,000 Ghana cedis to perform during the launch of his re-election campaign in Tamale last week.
Even before the dance hall artist arrived in Tamale on Saturday, rumours swirled around that he was paid 150, 000 Ghana cedis by the minister who also took care of his hotel bill of 50, 000 Ghana cedis.
The rumours spread like wild fire in Tamale and beyond, with many questioning the rationale behind such extravagance amidst economic difficulties in the country.
In an interview with Zaa News on Monday, the clearly miffed minister countered that it was his friends who brought Shatta Wale to Tamale to the entertain the youth who are enthralled with Wale’s music. The minister insisted that he had no hand in the transaction.
His campaign task-force corroborated the minister’s story and described the news report as false and without any basis. It insisted that Mr Fuseini had no connection whatsoever with the participation of Shatta Wale in the campaign launch.
A statement signed by a member of the publicity committee, Mr Hamza Suhiyini, said Shatta Walle came to the launch as a result of the relationship between his management team and some members of Alhaji Fuseini’s campaign task force.
The statement further said there was no instance of commercial engagement between Alhaji Fuseini and the management of Shatta Wale. It continued: it is unreasonable for a group of detractors to create a false impression that the MP has spent such an amount to bring Shatta Wale.
The publication it added was malicious and was a thinly veiled attempt to dent the hard earned integrity of the minister. Alhaji Inusah who is a practicing lawyer himself, the statement said, is considering legal action against the newspaper.
The statement said the massive attendance at the campaign launch has apparently become a source of worry to NDC opponents and detractors. The detractors, it said, are engaging in all manner of dubious machinations to mar the beauty of the campaign to divert public attention.
Finally, the statement assured the residents of Tamale central constituency that Alhaji Inusah remains their humble and modest servant, a duty he takes very seriously.