The ECOWAS Court of Justice sitting at Osborne, Lagos State, has dismissed a discrimination claim brought by a Ghanaian musician, Charles Mensah
By Chinyere Omeire
The ECOWAS Court of Justice sitting at Osborne, Lagos State, has dismissed a discrimination claim brought by a Ghanaian musician, Charles Mensah (also known as Shatta Wale), against his country.
The court delivered judgment in suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/25/24.
The suit was filed by the musician against Republic of Ghana and its Gaming Commission,
The court ruled against the applicant, holding that he failed to provide sufficient evidence of discriminatory treatment against him.
The court also held that there was lack of proof regarding correspondence with the gaming company.
It added that the applicant failed to disclose the identity of the company.
Mensah had alleged that he was denied an endorsement deal by a gaming company in Ghana because of Guideline VII of Ghana’s Advertising Guidelines.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the guideline prohibits gaming operators from using celebrities in advertisements.
Mensah claimed that the restriction violated his right to non-discrimination under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Republic of Ghana denied the allegations, arguing that no celebrities were permitted to endorse gaming products under Ghanaian law.
It challenged the musician to present evidence of celebrities who had been treated differently under a similar circumstance.
In the judgment, the court held that the applicant failed to prove that there was any correspondence with the gaming company, adding that he failed to show any directive from the government.
The court also held that the applicant did not identify the gaming company which, it said, was a necessary party to the suit.
The court also noted that the applicant did not present credible evidence of discriminatory treatment.
The court declared that it had jurisdiction over the matter and found the application admissible but had to dismiss it in its entirety for lack of merit.
The judgment was delivered by a panel comprising Justices Ricardo Gonçalves (presiding), Sengu Koroma and Dupe Atoki. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)