Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister of Communications

Minister for Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has revealed the company which bore the full cost of the virtual COVID-19 concert organised to launch the COVID-19 tracker app by the ministry.

The Minister, speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Eko Sii Sen afternoon programme, disclosed that, an information technology company by name Ascend Digital, bore the full cost of the Virtual Concert organised to launch the COVID-19 tracker app as well as the cost in building the app itself. The whole project was a collaboration between the private company and Communications, Tourism and Information Ministries.

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All related costs of the app creation as well as the concert were incurred by Ascend digital. The artistes who performed, the studio that was used and everything was handled by Ascend Digital. Government spent no money not even a penny in all of it, Ascend Digital took care of everything, she said.

The Minister’s disclosure on how the app creation and the virtual concert, which were graced by award winning artistes like Shatta Wale and Kuami Eugene, follows series of backlash against the Minister for claiming no monies were paid to artistes who performed at the Virtual Concert.

Asked how much Ascend Digital spent on the creation of the app and the Virtual Concert, the Minister asserted she does not know and wishes not to know as she is more concerned about the value the app provides for Ghanaians and not the cost incurred.