Kwabena Kwabena’s manager, Nana Poku Ashis, has revealed that certain friends of the artiste took money without his consent after his campaign song for the New Patriotic Party in 2016.
Ashis said the artiste had voluntarily composed the campaign song and did not expect any financial reward.
However, some friends of the artiste who were also members of the party went behind his back and took payment from the party with appropriate document.
“Some people charged on his head. Some of his friends that led him to go and meet the party leadership, charged on his head. So, the party knows that they’ve given Kwabena something through somebody. Where the money dey? He never got the money,” Ashis disclosed during an interview with Joy Prime.
Ashis further disclosed that when Kwabena Kwabena went to collect the money later, the party refused to give it to him since they believed he had been paid in full, providing documented files to prove payment.
Kwabena Kwabena first showed support for Akufo-Addo in 2008 with his song “Number One,” which became a key campaign anthem for the NPP. He continued this support through to the 2012 and 2016 elections.
Ashis strongly encouraged musicians to deal directly with political parties regarding money matters when composing campaign songs. He emphasized that doing this would guarantee openness and prevent similar problems.
Additionally, he urged musicians who compose songs for political campaigns to view the agreements as commercial transactions and make sure they receive fair compensation.
In earlier interviews, Nana Poku Ashis also revealed that although Kwabena Kwabena’s 2008 NPP endorsement had little effect at first, he experienced difficulties following the party’s 2012 defeat, including negative feedback from supporters and a decline in show attendance.
Even after the NPP won the 2016 election, Ashis emphasized that Kwabena Kwabena’s success was the result of his own hard work and not any official assistance from the NPP.
Since then, Kwabena Kwabena has stayed out of politics and is doing the promotional rounds for his upcoming EP, God of Restoration, which includes the gospel song “Fakye Me”.