Sound technician ‘mafias’ Ghana Movie Awards over prolonged debt

The 2019 Ghana Movie Awards was marred by a number of incidents with the topmost being the sound technician’s decision to ‘kill’ the sound just as the MC for the event came on stage due to a debt owed him by the organisers.

Like several shows organized in the country, this year’s Ghana Movie Awards commenced late – more than 4 hours behind schedule – and muddying the waters for the organisers was the technician’s insistence that he is paid some arrears amounting to GH¢1,500 before he provides sound for the occasion.

As the event kick started with host, Afia Schwarzenegger, having no idea what the challenge is, she was seen signalling technicians to put on her microphone when she realized the sound was dead.

Organisers realizing how serious the issue had become, pleaded with the sound technician but their plea fell on deaf ears – he will not heed until he is duly paid! That is the only language he understood at that particular moment.

Resorting to mobile money transaction, the organisers took the sound technician’s registered number and sent him one thousand Ghana cedis. Unmoved by the attempt made, the sound technicians insisted he is paid fully.

The organisers eventually added the remaining five hundred Ghana cedis and there was sound!

Other incidents which impaired the event organized by Fred Nuamah included the low patronage.

Also, at some point, the playbacks announcing the nominees for various categories failed to play.

Interestingly, actors who were nominated for some categories were asked to present awards to colleagues who beat them to it.

The 2019 Ghana Movie Awards was held at the National Theatre, Friday, December 20.