The Afro Nation event in Accra was abruptly cut short in the early hours of December 31; the cause, according to the promoters, was extreme safety and security concerns.
After a lively Day One that saw a dozen local and international singers perform to a teeming audience, the hugely attended concert was on its final day.
Day Two got off to a similar start with anticipation up until a little after midnight, when performances were suspended because of complaints about crowd control problems at the main gate.
The performance of artists like Dadju was cut short by the emcees after only 15 minutes due to poor sound quality on stage due to turbulence. The program got off to a good start.
The emcees later stated that there was turbulence at the back/entrance and that fans should maintain their composure and cease pushing the barricades owing to the chaotic moment that occurred at the event even though Asake was also scheduled to play.
VIP attendees claim that other concertgoers without tickets who were attempting to enter the event without tickets fired bullets outside the venue.
Due to the disruption that other concertgoers produced at the main entrance, the crowd and attendees at the continuing event were forced to remain motionless without any performances by artists.
According to a different version, the gunshot that was fired during the concert caused the ambulance to arrive and block the winding path, some of which was muddy and damp.
It was obvious that the venue was packed, but we had a lot of egotistical people who decided to turn up at the door and rush the door for whatever reason, according to the organizers of Afro Nation, who went on to explain why the event had to end suddenly owing to security and safety difficulties.
“At this point, it’s become too much for the cops and security we have back there. It doesn’t matter what’s happening there, as I said earlier. One of the organizers took to the stage to make the announcement: “If any of you leave this place in a corpse bag, that would be on us.
And that is something we definitely do not want to occur. Now that the show has ended, I want you to know that it’s because we want to keep you safe. We want to make sure you people depart in the safest manner possible because it is now wild outside,” he continued.
After taking a break owing to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Afro Nation Ghana event returned for the first time in two years. On December 29th and 30th, Accra hosted the festival season to honor African music and skill.