Member of Parliament for the Ashaiman Constituency, Ernest Henry Norgbey, has said the ‘Ashaiman to the World’ music festival should not be banned as some have suggested but rather, collaboration between the organiser and the police service should be improved. 

The lawmaker said this on Wednesday, 7 September 2022, on Class 91.3 FM’s news analysis programme 5o5, hosted by Korku Lumor.

During this year’s edition of the annual music event hosted by reggae/dancehall artiste Stonebwoy, the police arrested 42 suspects and retrieved from them items which included two toy pistols, 10 mobile phones, five cutlasses, five jack knives, three pairs of scissors, one wig and a tablet.

The assembly member for Ashaiman Official Town, Mr Ayeku Edmond, also disclosed that people were robbed during the health walk which was part of the ‘Ashaiman to the World’ festival. 

He noted crime at the festival was not new as same happened “last year, or last two years” also. 

Speaking on 5o5, he added, “I was told also, at the programme a boy had been stabbed. So, I think, about two deaths on that Saturday. We’ll discuss that at the assembly.” 

In his view, “that programme, we have to put a stop to it.” 

Reacting to this, the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman shared a different view. He thinks banning the event will be disadvantageous. 

“I have been doing my personal checks on these matters and you’ll realise that the cancellation of this particular programme will be a bit uncomfortable to some of us and also the youth.”

Mr Ernest Henry Norgbey is of the view Stonebwoy, a native of the town, was simply fulfilling a social responsibility. 

“What we need to do rather, is extending security whenever this kind of concert [comes around] because Stonebwoy is an Ashaiman boy who wanted to give back to the society and I’m not sure we’ll be able to prevent that aspect of him.”

The solution he proposed to the security tensions the event annually comes with was, “to strengthen security, beef up security whenever this kind of programme is being organised by Stonebwoy.”

Mr Norgbey recommended the organisation of the event should be reexamined and collaboration with the police service worked on.

“Be it as it may, we really need to look at it, how the organisation is done, whether the police were involved in the organisation, whether they were informed, etc. If they are not or they were not informed, then going forward, we need to do a lot of work on that.”