Some NGOs have chastised Afropop songstress Wendy Shay for encouraging her colleague celebrities to fight the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) over the ban on the advertisement of alcoholic products by people of her calibre.

Wendy Shay, in a tweet, said she lost a foreign contract due to the FDA ban.

“I just lost a deal worth 1000s of dollars with this foreign alcohol company…I didn’t know in Ghana celebrities can’t advertise for alcoholic beverages according to FDA. Like Seriously?! Small food we go chop too u wan take 4rm our mouth. Gh celebs wake up !!FDA Lift dat ban!!” the tweet said.

But the ‘Uber Driver’ hitmaker has been asked by the NGOs to apologise to Ghanaians, especially the youth, for her trantrums.

A statement signed by the General Secretary of the Ghana Alcohol Policy Alliance, Labram Musah, on Friday, 17 January 2020, expressed disappointment in Wendy Shay.

“We are very disappointed and troubled over the comment and call on Wendy Shay to apologise to all the youth and young people. She must also apologise to the poor and vulnerable who have died and those currently suffering from chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, stroke, liver problems, cardiovascular diseases and are unable to pay for treatment because it is very expensive,” the statement said.

“The call to apologise stems from the fact that the ban on celebrities from alcohol adverts on TV and radio is primarily to protect our children from alcohol harm and destruction.

"Yet, she calls on the FDA to lift the ban without recognising the negative effects alcohol has on us as humans. Secondly, she was only concerned about her personal gain and interest and not the public health and good of our children and the youth who the law seeks to protect.”

The NGOs include Vision for Alternative Development, Ghana Alcohol Policy Alliance, Ghana NCD Alliance, Community Health Support Team, Institute for Leadership and Development Tax, Advocacy Network for Health Promotion and Media Alliance in Tobacco Control.