Shatta v Stonebowy VGMA fracas

My Preliminary Opinion On The Stonebowy And Shatta Fracas At This Year's VGMAs

Before I proceed to talk about anything, I will like to place on record that ab initio - everything aside - Stonebowy's action was needless, unnecessary, unwarranted. It was totally wrong, unfortunate, unthinkable and unjustifiable for him to brandish his registered personal sidearm at the VGMA.

The situation did not necessitate such a reaction immediately given the fact that present at the venue were other private and state security actors whose attention he could have easily drawn to takecare of Shatta and his militants if his personal security guys seen around him could not take care of the situation.

That said; can we overly blame Stonebowy without laying most of the blame right at the doorstep of Shatta? And I understand he and his militants have cooked up some afterthought excuse to wishy wash his awful and disgraceful behaviour at the venue.

I am informed that they are saying he (Shatta) only "walked up to the stage to support his brother" -Stonebowy - and immediately I asked myself - Who does that?

Just look at this logic - Shatta won two awards earlier on. He didn't step up himself to pick the awards. Other members of the Shatta Movement did that on his behalf.

Later, Stonebowy won only one award, then you have Shatta who did not see the need to pick up his own award (in fact, two of them) previously - walk up to the stage to "support Stonebowy pick his award". Who does that?

How on earth can anybody convince critical minds such as myself that he (Shatta) went up there sincerely with his "conscience clear" to "support his brother Stonebowy" who we all know is his bitterest arch rival in the industry and particular so in the genre in which they both find themselves and always try to outdo each other to secure the bragging righ as to who is the king of dancehall king.

Anybody who conceives such a thought can only say this to individuals who cannot appreciate "circumstancially" the intention of a potential troublemaker in such situations.

For those of us who can stitch bits and pieces of "circumstances, actions, inactions and reactions of individuals" together to enable us predict the behaviour or their next move especially if they are the "violent kind" in situations, cannot accept the argument being put forward by the Shatta Opana movement people.

Their argument that he Shatta Opana went up to support Stonebowy is a clear and pitiful childish afterthought to cleverly play on the minds of people who are likely to blame Shatta Opana for such backward behaviour.

Although I condemn wholeheartedly the public drawing of the gun by Stonebowy, I think he acted impulsively out of fear.

I know for a fact that Stonebowy's side arm is a duly registered one, but he risk losing his licence to keep a personal weapon if he is found to have breached the personal weapon handling rules.

As a private person, when you are issued with licence to purchase and keep a personal weapon; you are supposed to keep it as concealed as possible and not go about brandishing it in the faces of other members of the public all the time with the least opportunity.

This is the second time Stonebowy has pulled a weapon publicly sighting threat to his life and self defence and I don't think it is good enough.

This kind of behaviour of pulling a gun publicly has the greatest propensity to endanger his life at such crowd functions in the future because he may have succeeded in sending a bad signal to his rivals in the industry that he likes pulling out guns. This could make them procure even more superior guns with more firepower than his or always come to programs with more guns than he and his team may have.

I think quiet frankly, and despite the fact that I am a staunch supporter of Stonebowy and the BHIMNATION, I detest and take serious exception to his incessant public brandishing of his personal weapon. It is not good for the industry, and it is not good for his personal safety.

His action has the tendency of pushing others in the industry who may never have thought about owning personal weapons to begin to make plans to acquire weapons for themselves.

When this happens, we are going to have serious problems as a country policing the entertainment industry of this country and the programs they organise because lots and lots of the people who will be coming to such occasions will be coming with guns.

Beyond the apology, I think Stonebowy should take steps via proper communication to assure his fans, the nation and everybody in the entertainment industry that he will never brandish weapons at public places.

Mohammed Abdul Hanan El Saeed

0244087295

Police headquarters

Accra, Ghana