Media personality and entertainment analyst Arnold Mensah Elavanyo has made a passionate public appeal for Ghanaian musician Charles Nii Armah Mensah, popularly known as Shatta Wale, to be honoured with a diplomatic passport as a birthday gift.
In a post shared on his official Facebook page, Elavanyo urged Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to consider the gesture, describing Shatta Wale as a cultural asset whose influence extends far beyond music. According to him, the award-winning artist has demonstrated the ability to project Ghana’s image globally and deserves official recognition for his contribution to the arts and entertainment industry.
“A nation that does not celebrate its heroes is not worth dying for,” Elavanyo wrote, stressing that Shatta Wale’s popularity and influence can be used to promote Ghana’s brand internationally. He further suggested that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Office of Diaspora Affairs, should assign Shatta Wale and his team a national mission — to sell Ghana as Africa’s leading tourist destination and the continent’s most investor-friendly country.
Elavanyo proposed that industry legend K.O.D. and Shatta Wale’s management could jointly develop a global campaign to promote Ghana through music and culture. He also recommended exploring a partnership between Shatta Wale and Jamaican dancehall icon Vybz Kartel for an international tour that would highlight Ghana’s creative strength to the world.
He praised Hon. Ablakwa’s previous initiative of issuing diplomatic passports to deserving personalities, calling it “a fantastic move,” and urged him to consider adding Shatta Wale to that list. “No Ghanaian will oppose this move. It will rather buy you goodwill now and in the future,” he wrote.
Elavanyo concluded his post by rallying fans of the Shatta Movement to support the initiative, encouraging them to send the message directly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The post has since sparked conversations across social media, with many agreeing that recognizing influential artists like Shatta Wale could boost Ghana’s global cultural diplomacy efforts.