‘I’m waiting for Jay-Z and Beyonce’ - How Akufo-Addo ‘forced’ peers to watch concert in 2018

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018 caused his colleagues to sit through a Global Citizen Festival held in South Africa.

The circumstances under which this happened was narrated by deputy Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts minister, Mark Okraku Mantey who was speaking on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana programe.

The 2018 concert took place at the FNB Stadium

Read full articlein Johannesburg, and was part of the Global Citizen group's annual concert held in New York Central Park and concurrently in another major African city.

The particular edition was also connected to the Mandela 100 celebration, so it had a number of African leaders in attendance.

“At the time, most of the presidents were tired and so they wanted to find a way asking them to leave, but the host who is the South African president couldn’t leave until they get the other people to accept that they also wanted to leave.

“So, they were unlucky that they spoke to President Akufo-Addo first and in the diplomatic way that is how they operate. ‘O Mr. President, would you want to leave?’

“He says no, ‘I am waiting for Jay-Z and Beyonce.’ They were the headliners. So, the rest of the presidents have to wait, they couldn’t leave, that is the history to president Akufo-Addo’s visit to that event.

“After the event, he showed interest, that he wouldn’t mind seeing this in Ghana,” this was how the organizers slated it for Ghana this year.



The September 24, 2022 concert has, however, become the center of controversy after it emerged that the president was booed by a section of the crowd. It has led to political ‘football’ with the governing and opposition parties in the middle of the fight.

The edition Akufo-Addo attended was held on Dec. 2, 2018, with performances from the likes of Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Sho Madjozi, Cassper Nyovest, Ed Sheeran, and many other incredible acts.

SARA