Renowned entertainment pundit, Arnold Asamoah Baidoo, has stepped forward to defend Professor Peter Twumasi, the head of the National Sports Authority (NSA), amidst the controversy surrounding the fee paid by Stonebwoy for utilizing the Accra Sports Stadium for his 5th Dimension concert in December 2023.
During an appearance on the United Showbiz show on UTV, Asamoah Baidoo expressed his view that Professor Twumasi had been unfairly targeted by the public, particularly by MP Sam Nartey George. George had scrutinized Twumasi’s actions during a session of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Monday, February 5, 2024.
Asamoah Baidoo suggested that Sam George’s focus wasn’t on the actual fee paid by Stonebwoy but rather on the allocation of funds to the Kumasi chapter of the NSA instead of the Accra chapter. He implied that Twumasi had been unjustly singled out for criticism in this matter.
“I think we, as Ghanaians, have been very unfair to the NSA boss, especially Sam George. Anyone can go back and watch that video.
“Sam George was referring to a specific document. Sam George’s focus was never on Stonebwoy. He was focused on the monies that were paid to the accounts of the Kumasi chapter of the NSA instead of the Accra chapter,” he told show host MzGee.
Arnold elaborated further, explaining that Stonebwoy had made payments in installments, with the initial payment of GH¢70,000 being deposited into the Kumasi account.
However, he clarified that while the NSA boss acknowledged this payment into the Kumasi account, it did not necessarily mean that Stonebwoy’s total payment for utilizing the stadium amounted to only GH¢70,000.
“Stonebwoy had paid his first GH¢70,000 into that account. So when Sam George asked about that money, the NSA boss admitted that Stonebwoy had paid GH¢70,000 cedis into that specific account. There was no further inquiry into how much Stonebwoy paid. It didn’t mean Stonebwoy had paid only GH¢70,000,” he stated.
Arnold voiced his disappointment with the National Sports Authority (NSA) for not addressing the controversy and clarifying the situation. He highlighted that Stonebwoy’s manager had already disclosed the amount paid for utilizing the stadium, suggesting that the NSA should have followed suit to provide transparency and resolve any lingering doubts or misconceptions.
“I am disappointed with the NSA since they could not come up with a statement to clear the air on the issue. Even Stonebwoy’s manager, when he saw the heat the issue was generating, had to accept an interview to explain that he had paid more than GH¢100,000.
“So we have treated the NSA boss unfairly,” he said.