The New Ghana Social Justice Forum, a human rights organization, has addressed a statement to the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, requesting the removal of Sarkodie from the list of performers at the African Fan Zone event.
The Ghanaian rapper has been billed for a performance on Aug 9, 2024 at the, Stade Robert Cesar in France, as part of the Africa Fan Zone cultural event, happening at the same time as the Olympic games.
The statement, issued by the President of the New Ghana Social Justice Forum, Yahaya Al hassan, asserts that Sarkodie is misogynistic and has repeatedly violated women’s rights throughout his career. The letter noted that his actions and lyrics did not conform with the values upheld by the Olympic Games.
“The Olympic Games and related programs, traditionally seen as a platform to uphold human rights, promote women’s development, and set standards for human dignity, should carefully consider these values,” the letter stated.
Join our WhatsApp Channel for more news
The statement referenced lyrics from “Jennifer Lomotey, ” a song by Kurl Songx featuring Sarkodie. Sarkodie’s lyrics touches on a long- standing stigma often associated with Krobo women, which stems from a lore that claims that Krobo women were cursed with promiscuity by Komfo Anokye.
“Krobonii baa papa a ahweneɛ da ne sisi, Komfo Anokye de adwaman abɔ no dua”, to wit “A beautiful Krobo lady with beads on her waist, she has been cursed with promiscuity by Komfo Anokye.”
The group further justified their call for Sarkodie’s exclusion by citing lyrics from his song “Don’t Try Me”, aimed at Yvonne Nelson, following the release of Nelson’s memoir, which revealed intimate details of their past relationship, including claims that Sarkodie abandoned her, after she had terminated a pregnancy he (Sarkodie) was responsible for.
According to the group “honoring Sarkodie with the station Africa platform raises concerns, particularly for pregnant women. Sarkodie’s past actions, such as labelling actress Yvonne Nelson prostitute who belongs to the street in response to her memoir ‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson’ are troubling.”
The New Ghana Social Justice Forum labelled Sarkodie’s response to Yvonne Nelson’s memoir as “insensitive and disrespectful towards women,” further solidifying their stance that allowing him to perform at the event would send a concerning message, undermining efforts towards gender equality and respect for women.
In response, the French Embassy in Ghana in collaboration with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, clarified that Sarkodie will not be performing at the Olympic Games as initially assumed, but rather at the African Fan Zone, an independent event running concurrently with the Olympic Games.
The Embassy reiterated it commitments to promoting equal human rights, gender equality and women empowerment.
“Please note that the Embassy of France in Ghana, together with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee is firmly committed to promoting equal human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment in all the projects and initiatives that we are associated with. We do not endorse any form of discrimination or actions that undermine these values,” the Embassy wrote in its letter.
