The ECOWAS Court of Justice, sitting in Osborne, Lagos State, has rejected a discrimination lawsuit filed by Ghanaian musician Charles Mensah, popularly known as Shatta Wale, against the Republic of Ghana.
The case, marked ECW/CCJ/APP/25/24, was brought by Shatta Wale against the Ghanaian government and its Gaming Commission.
In its ruling, the court stated that Shatta Wale did not present adequate evidence to support his claim of being discriminated against. It also found no proof of communication between him and the gaming company involved, and noted that he failed to name the company in question.
Mensah had alleged that he was denied an endorsement deal by a gaming company due to Guideline VII of Ghana’s Advertising Guidelines, which prohibits the use of celebrities in gaming advertisements. He argued that this guideline infringed on his right to be free from discrimination under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Ghanaian government refuted the claim, asserting that the law applies equally to all celebrities and challenged Shatta Wale to prove that others had been treated differently in similar situations.
The court concluded that Mensah did not provide evidence of any government directive or correspondence with the gaming company and failed to identify the company—considered a key party to the case.
While the court confirmed it had jurisdiction and found the case admissible, it ultimately dismissed the claim for lack of merit.
The judgment was delivered by a panel consisting of Justices Ricardo Gonçalves (presiding), Sengu Koroma, and Dupe Atoki.
