Ghanaian actress Ama K Abebrese, co-host of the 2013 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) which came off in Nigeria last weekend, has parried criticisms that she deliberately ignored to introduce Ghanaian actors at the event.
Ghanaian movie personalities who attended the awards held at the Glory Hall Cultural Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, have slammed the actress for not acknowledging them.
The Ghanaian personalities including Kofi Adjorlolo, Prince David Osei and Eddie Nartey, criticized Ama K Abebrese for failing to take a cue from Nigerian comedian AY, who was also a host on the night.
According to them, AY gave acknowledgement to the Nigerian celebrities at the venue to the disadvantage of the Ghanaian celebrities who are at par with the Nigerians.
The 2011 AMAA Best Actress in a Leading Role told Myjoyonline.com on Tuesday that her failure to acknowledge the Ghanaian delegation was not deliberate.
She stated that: “I didn’t know they were there. I didn’t know who came. Why would I purposely do that?” Ama asked. “The only person I knew of was Lydia Forson because she was there to present an award. I later saw Yvonne Okoro when I was leaving the stage.”
Asked why she was able to give recognition to other celebrities at the event and not Ghanaians, the bubbly actress said that she acknowledged Hollywood actor and director, Mario Van Peebles because it was part of the show itinerary.
“I also mentioned Zack Orji’s name because he was just right in front of me,” Ama K Abebrese added.
“I don’t want anybody to feel I purposely ignored anyone,” she said and added that the organisers “didn’t give me any names” to mention at the event. Ama lamented that, “It is unfair to say I purposely ignored people” .
Veteran actor, Kofi Adjorlolo, who had expressed disappointment about the incident, told Myjoyonline.com that Ama K Abebrese had called him to explain her side of the story.
Last Monday, Graphic Showbiz reported that Ghana was virtually missing at the event because while AY mentioned all the Nigerian actors, Ama K. could not introduce even one actor from Ghana, although A-list actors Lydia Forson, Kofi Adjorlolo, Yvonne Okoro, Prince David Osei, Eddie Nartey, among others were seated in the front row.
Kofi Ajorlolo told Showbiz: “I have never been disappointed this way before, a big actor like me could not be recognised when Ama K indeed saw me. I felt very bad. I think, Ama K shouldn’t have been the MC at all, she was very bad on the night and let Ghana down”.
Actor, Prince David Osei, also shared the same sentiment, according to him “ the whole idea was a flop. Perhaps, we shouldn’t have come for the ceremony at all. This is a big embarrassment.
I felt like I’m nobody when, comedian AY was confidently mentioning the names of the Nigerian actors but not a single one from Ghana.
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