Coronavirus: Kiki Banson not on the side of ‘pay before I educate’ celebrities

Renowned artiste manager Kiki Banson has said it is instructive for celebrities to wholeheartedly get involved in the fight against Coronavirus instead of expecting government to pay them for the services.

He makes an emphatic statement that it will take a collective approach to win the fight, hence, celebrities should make a conscious effort to help in educating the populace on the need to adhere to the various preventive protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.

“If you want to stay at home and not contribute to a movement that will get you back to work quickly and you want to be paid for that, it’s an individual thing,” he established while making a submission on Showbiz 927 hosted by MzGee.

He added: “But I don’t advocate for that. I think that there must be on all hands-on deck to get this thing done. Everybody who has a voice and everybody who has reach should use it because without the people back on the streets back everywhere, without the people feeling comfortable to come out nobody is coming to your concert.”

At a press conference in Accra in March, information minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah announced government’s intention to engage celebrities in the fight against coronavirus, GhanaWeb recalls.

According to the minister, government, as part of efforts to educate the public about the pandemic will appoint some celebrities as ambassadors.

Amidst claims those who will be appointed will be paid for the services they’ll render, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said there was no such intention.

“We were thinking of having them as public education ambassadors or public education champions. I later saw online stories that we have said we are going to use celebrity ambassadors and suggestion that we are going to pay some money; no, that is not happening,” he mentioned.

Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale then served a notice he will not avail himself for the task if there will not be any financial gratification.

Although he acknowledged the threat the disease poses as well as the pragmatic steps needed to combat it, the musician, who has carved a niche for himself as one of the most influential celebrities said he will turn down the appointment if it comes with no package.

He said: “They're working and they're getting paid... They’re charging us with taxes here and there and we understand. Our royalties are not getting to us so we’re not even making that kind of money that we have to make; so if government wants to engage me, Stonebwoy, Sarkodie or any other, they should know that there is something that needs to be done. It’s a tradition.

“We can’t come out and say we’re going to do it for free. I’m not part of their political party. It’s best for them to put a package down. Doing it for free will be very hard for someone like me.”