Veteran Ghanaian actress Irene Opare has strongly rejected claims that she is poor or begging the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and President John Dramani Mahama for financial assistance.
Her comments follow remarks by media personality MC Yaa Yeboah, who described Irene Opare’s recent appeal to President Mahama as an attempt to seek assistance.
But responding to the criticism, Irene Opare insisted that she is well established and has never approached the NDC or President Mahama for personal financial support.
According to her, her comments were made in the context of her upcoming 60th birthday and her “Clean Mama” project, which she wants the government to support.
“I want Yaa Yeboah to know that I am well established. I am 60 years old, and maybe you don’t know anything about me or know my house, but I am well established. I am not begging,” she said.
Irene Opare explained that during her interview a, she was specifically asked what she wanted for her 60th birthday and whether the NDC government had supported her since returning to power.
She said her response was not a request for personal money but an appeal for government sponsorship for the Clean Mama project.
“You are a journalist, and you have to listen to the whole conversation. She should listen to it very well before she talks because I am not begging,” she stressed.
“I was asked b during the interview if the NDC has assisted me since they came to power, and I made him aware that I am even a pre-NDC. So, all I asked was for the government to sponsor my Clean Mama project. I even said that because Nkonkonsa asked me what I wanted for my 60th birthday,” she added.
‘I Am Not Begging Mahama’
The veteran actress said her earlier appeal to President Mahama had been misunderstood after excerpts and social media captions from the interview circulated online.
In the interview, Irene Opare had appealed directly to the President, saying she believed he knew her and should acknowledge her longstanding association with the NDC.
“Mr President, I know you know me. This is your Clean Mama; all I want to say is, please turn your back and look at me. I’m standing right behind you. Just turn and look at me,” she said.
However, Irene Opare maintained that the statement should not be interpreted as her begging the President for money.
She cautioned journalists and commentators against relying solely on social media captions without listening to the full interviews from which the comments were taken.
“Go and listen to the whole interview before you talk. If you use bloggers’ captions on social media to make a statement, you will be wrong,” she said.
Warns Yaa Yeboah
Irene Opare also took issue with what she described as uninformed comments about her, warning that she would not allow her reputation to be damaged by statements based on an incomplete understanding of her remarks.
“When he asked me about the issue with the President, I didn’t want to even comment; that is why I paused,” she explained.
Clearly displeased by the criticism, the actress told Yaa Yeboah to be more careful when commenting on matters concerning her.
“I don’t take it lightly. Tell Yaa Yeboah to just shut up because she can be my daughter. That should be her first and last. If she claims she is a journalist, she should go and read everything before she comments,” she said.
Irene Opare’s response has therefore sought to draw a distinction between seeking government support for a public project and asking the President or the NDC for personal financial assistance, insisting that her appeal was about her Clean Mama initiative and not her personal financial circumstances.
