Ghanaian actress Gloria Sarfo has publicly expressed her frustration after a distressing incident involving mistreatment at the airport ahead of the 2024 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in Lagos, Nigeria. The actress, along with several other Ghanaian actors—including A-list star Jackie Appiah—found themselves stranded after learning that their flight tickets to the prestigious ceremony were invalid.
Sarfo revealed on her social media accounts that, despite being promised an all-expenses-paid trip to the highly anticipated event, the actors were left waiting for hours at the airport with no communication or updates from the event organisers.
The actors had been eagerly anticipating the AMAA ceremony, which celebrates excellence in African cinema, but their excitement quickly turned to frustration when they discovered the error with their tickets. According to Sarfo, there was no explanation for the mishap, and the group was left without any support as they waited for a resolution.
“This was a total embarrassment. We had to tell the other Ghanaian actors on their way to the airport to turn back,” she lamented. “You can’t invite me on an all-expenses-paid trip and leave me stranded at the airport. The embarrassment was unbearable! We stood there for hours, and although there were media personnel around, they were also caught in the same situation, so I’m sure they didn’t capture the chaos.” Sarfo said in an emotional post.
The incident has sparked outrage among fans and industry colleagues, with many expressing their support for the actors and calling out the organisers for the lack of professionalism.
“The likes of Abdul Salam Mumuni, Akorfa Edjeani Aseidu, Julia Apea, our big filmmakers were all stranded. These are filmmakers who even started filmmaking before most of these Nigerians did.” Sarfo added.
It is unclear at this time whether the situation has been resolved or how the organisers plan to address the mishap. The 2024 AMAA, which aims to honour outstanding achievements in African filmmaking, is one of the most significant events on the continent’s entertainment calendar.
Fans of Sarfo, Appiah, and the other affected actors have flooded social media with messages of solidarity, urging the AMAA organisers to do better in the future and ensure such incidents do not happen again.
As the story develops, many are waiting to see whether the AMAA organisers will take responsibility and offer an apology for the inconvenience caused to these celebrated Ghanaian actors.
Story by: Kelvin B. Annor-Yeboah _ univers.ug.edu.gh
