After being unable to participate at the Hogbetsotso Festival performance, Shatta Wale speaks

After receiving criticism for skipping the Hogbetsotso Beach Rave performance in the Volta Region over the weekend, Shatta Wale has finally spoken out.

"Shatta Wale, who had been booked to play as the headlining performer turned arrived at the venue of the concert in vehicles rented for him and his team by the organizers," according to the management of Onua Group and Ebony Condoms, "but could not be found thereafter."

"All attempts by the two management teams to induce him to come to the concert venues to perform for the eager throng proved abortive," the management teams later said.

Captain Smart, who had earlier hosted the Shatta on "Onua Maakye" to confirm his presence at the event, expressed his disappointment by admonishing the singer to be careful not to offend the Volta Region's residents.

He pleaded with Shatta Wale to express regret and offer an unequivocal apology for disappointing his supporters.

After remaining silent for days, Shatta has spoken out on social media to clarify his absence from the stage as well as to offer his side of the story.

He claimed that the organizers wanted to take him directly to a radio station for an interview as soon as he landed, which he had previously agreed to refuse.

“Ibe show wey them contact me for. We no dey go greet people. Ago Taya before the show starts sef. I know how people dey loves me and I know I’d have to get into the crowd. Everybody go dey talk to you and your voice all go strain. I wanted to keep the energy for my lovely people of volta.

As I ask them whether it is this thing I tell them before coming, I hear say one of the organizers say if I do go come to the radio station, then they no go take me to my hotel room. So you expect me to carry all the luggage I came with to the radio station?” he said in Pidgin English during an Instagram live.

A disappointed Shatta however asked if a foreign artiste could be treated in such an unfair manner.

“Massa, make I carry all my luggage come the radio station den come do radio interview? As yourself whether that’s how they treat foreign artists.

Do they take them to radio stations immediately after they land at the airport? Even some international artists come with their live bands, do they carry all that to the radio station? When Usher came to Ghana did he carry all his luggage and band to radio stations for an interview?