Manasseh Azure Awuni with IGP Dampare
Investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni has reacted to the recent events surrounding controversial dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale.
In a 25-line poem posted on Facebook yesterday, October 20, Manasseh reserved mention for two public figures whiles shying away from expressly mentioning Shatta Wale’s name.
His first line mentions Shatta’s rival, Sarkodie, referring to him as King but it is Inspector-General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare, who gets a double mention in the 21st and 22nd lines.
The 21st line read: “But under Dampare, every foolishness has its limit”
“Dampare is large and in charge!” he wrote in the 22nd line to buttress his point about the need to do what is right even with the trappings and lure of lawlessness.
The Ghana Police Service on Wednesday stated at a press conference that Shatta Wale will be arraigned before a court today over allegations of causing false news to be published relative to a gun attack on him last Monday.
Police arrested him on Tuesday after he turned himself in, having been declared wanted earlier. He spent his second night in police custody.
The IGP was celebrated on social media following Shatta Wale’s arrest with most social media users calling for the musician to be dealt with according to the law.
Many cited the recent treatment meted out to Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah and that of the fake Takoradi pregnancy and kidnap case to buttress the need for the musician to not be treated any differently.
Read Manasseh’s full post below:
King Sark said No Pressure
That advice should have been a treasure
For life is not a race
Everyone has their pace
But some would resort to anything for fame
Even if it would end in shame
They use shortcuts to rise in the game
But it takes more than noise to keep one’s name
In their current state, they ought to be wistful
But in their fleeting glory of yore, they are wishful
In comparison with others’ success, they’re flattered
But the consistency of others keeps them flustered
So they’d do anything to rise
Even if it’s as inferior as “tugyimi” rice
Because trending is where their pride lies
But now they’re cold like ice
In their antics, however, they should not lose sight
That things are no longer loose, but tight
We aren’t saints, but we must strive to do right
It’s true that lawlessness is in our remit
It’s true that the powerful can even build without a permit
But under Dampare, every foolishness has its limit
Dampare is large and in charge!
And we’ve got to know What Time It Is!
Now, the beginning of wisdom is a declaration to thyself: “I Know My Level.”
Brief about the Shatta Wale hoax
On Monday evening, October 18, a viral post on social media had it that Shatta Wale had been shot at East Legon and was receiving emergency medical treatment at an unnamed hospital.
Police issued a statement saying no shooting incident had been recorded nor have the artiste been found at any hospital per their checks.
The following morning, Shatta Wale released a statement defending why he staged an attack citing police indifference after a prophecy was released in September about a gun attack on him.
The Ghana Police Service on Tuesday evening announced the arrest of Shatta Wale after he turned himself in.
According to a statement, the musician who had been declared wanted was subsequently arrested to assist with investigations into an October 18 viral post that he had been the victim of a gun attack.
The statement read in part: “The Police have arrested Charles Nii Armah Mensah popularly known as Shatta Wale. After we publicly declared him and one other person wanted, the suspect, Shatta Wale, turned himself in today Tuesday 19th October, 2021, at 8.59pm.
“He has been arrested to assist the Police in investigations for his alleged involvement in the creation and circulation of information intended to cause fear and panic.”
Two photos accompanying the police information showed the musician in one frame bespectacled, in handcuffs and spotting a broad smile. The other photo shows a more sullen Shatta Wale.
The police also reiterated its warning to members of the public: “to desist from publishing false information, capable of disturbing the peace of the country or risk being arrested and prosecuted.”