From stardom to solicitation: Can the financial decline of celebrities be fixed?

GhanaWeb Feature by: Isaac Dadzie

Looking back to late 2021 to early 2022, the entertainment news portals in Ghana were abuzz with news of Ghanaian actor Psalm Adjeteyfio calling for assistance from the general public to help with a series of health complications he was suffering from.

Hundreds of Ghanaians came forward to help, donating large sums of money to him, but unfortunately, he passed away.

Fast forward to 2024, and Highlife musician Kwabena Kwakye Kabobo, also known as K.K Kabobo, was in the news seeking aid to help him deal with a liver disease.

The same story repeated itself, with lots of help pouring in, but he also passed away.

It's not just these two individuals; Moesha Budong, John Peasah from Yolo, and various other celebrities and personalities within the entertainment industry have been in the news seeking assistance from the general public to deal with one complication or another.

And just recently, veteran Gospel musician Yaw Sarpong is currently battling complications from a stroke.

And it's not just Ghana; Nigeria has also had its fair share of celebrities popping up on social media seeking aid for health complications.

The question that arises is, most of these personalities are very popular, and according to the laws of showbiz, the more popular they are, the more money they should have, although the reality seems different.

So, what happened?

Many theories could come up, such as mismanagement, the actual amount of money they earn not being substantial, failed investments, health complications draining their funds, etc.

But let's not focus on the causes; what about solutions?

According to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) in 2023, only 0.85 percent of the 6.7 million Ghanaian workers in the informal sector are covered by the scheme.

This informal sector, in most cases, includes the creative arts sector, especially entertainers who are not formally employed.

As a result, there are no contributions, no pensions, and nothing assured for them when they eventually retire.

Perhaps the new generation of entertainers and creatives are taking steps to secure their futures through personal financial decisions.

But what if a policy existed to establish a fund for creatives to ensure they have the necessary financial support in case of health emergencies?

What if this fund were supported not only by contributions but also by royalties and taxes on the creative sector?

What if the bodies governing the creative sector were strengthened to look out for these creatives, providing the necessary financial education to ensure that we do not see their faces on our screens begging for assistance in the coming decades?

However, these are all hypothetical scenarios. The fact is, these solutions are easier said than done; it would require a collective effort from all stakeholders, from the government to the stakeholders within the general public, to establish a separate fund for creatives to contribute to and ensure a smooth retirement or, at the very least, enrol them with SSNIT.

In any case, as we reach into our pockets to contribute whatever little we can to the mobile money wallets established to raise funds for our favourite actor's kidney, liver, heart, testicles, etc., we can only hope that one day these pleas will cease.

ID/OGB

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