Abena Moet
Outspoken Entertainment Pundit, Abena Moet, has advised Charterhouse Ghana, organisers of the annual Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA), to postpone the awards ceremony if there is no suitable venue to host the event set for May 9.
She made this submission after Robert Klah, Head of Public Events and Communications at Charterhouse, indicated on United Showbiz that the authorities overseeing the land on which the Grand Arena Dome sits are requesting that they vacate the premises.
He also indicated that the Palms Convention Centre, which has been already publicised as the event venue, is a second option in case the organisers fail to convince the authorities to hand over the venue for the event.
According to Abena Moet, after 26 years of Charterhouse organising the event, they should have had a permanent location for the awards ceremony, considering the fact that it is one of the country’s most sought-after awards event. “The thing is 26 years in the game and you are now scouting for a venue? Just three weeks to an event and you are now telling the country Palms Convention venue is Plan B. I want to know what is the agreement between the organisers and the authorities, because I’m not sure the authorities just informed you recently of their inability to hand over the space to you. After 26 years and you guys haven’t secured any land for permanent venue for the awards, then what have you been doing. Looking at the capacity of the Palms Convention, is almost like half the size of the Grand Arena, which will affect sales, so I think they should postpone the awards, go back to the drawing board and come back with a permanent position,” she said.
Media Personality, Michael Kwaku Ola Ntiamoah, has called on investors to step in to support the construction of dedicated event centres for the creative industry.
“I don’t expect government to construct event venue for event like the conference centres but investors. We have over-relied on government to provide infrastructure for the entertainment sector but nothing much have been done. It is onto our investors to come in for us, and also we plead with government to create the enabling environment for this to be possible,” he said.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke
