There was a bit of drama at the hearing of the Public Accounts Committee in parliament yesterday, 10th September 2020 after it emerged that the Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM) paid millions of Ghana Cedis to dancehall artiste Shatta Wale and popular Kumawood actor, Agya Koo for brand ambassador roles.
Charles Nii Armah Mensah, popularly known as Shatta Wale and Agya Koo, among others in the entertainment industry are said to have been engaged to promote made-in-Ghana goods.
The Exim Bank is a state entity established by an Act of Parliament to support the development of Ghana’s export trade, facilitate cross border trade and make Ghana a pillar in regional and continental trade.
NDC member of parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak expressed his grievance about the move, wondering if the huge monies involved could not have been invested into other more productive sectors.
“I mentioned ¢2 million that went to Shatta Wale but the Deputy CEO says they wouldn’t know who the vendor selected and this is not to say that we have a problem with Shatta Wale getting some amount of money to do whatever work but the Ghanaian public deserves to know how much went out and who got it,” he insisted.
Ras Mubarak also questioned why such huge payments could be made for such purposes at a time when Ghana was battling the aftermath of the devastating Coronavirus Pandemic.
The Deputy CEO of Exim Bank however, defended the decision of the bank to make such an investment, arguing that brand ambassadors play a crucial role in marketing a product.
Source: GhanaFeed.Com
