Songstress Rebecca Acheampong, popularly known on stage as Becca, has disclosed that she was paid $3,750 for her services an ambassador for Ghana’s participation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The $3,750, according to her, was the total sum of $250 she received as per diem for 15 days during her stay in Brazil.
The songstress was among 14 persons selected by the Ministry for Youth and Sports to serve as ambassadors to rally support for the Black Stars, as well as help raise funds for supporters and brand Ghana during the country’s participation at the World Cup in Brazil in June.
She told the Justice Dzamefe Commission, tasked to inquire about the country’s participation in the tournament, Thursday that it was made known to her that her ambassadorial work was voluntary and therefore was not going to be paid for it but only received a per diem.
“As its spelt in the certificate they gave me, it said voluntary so I knew from the beginning that I wasn’t going to be given any kind of money,” Becca said.
According to her, money was not her main priority and that, “the most important thing for me is that I was a proud Ghanaian and so I was honoured to have been chosen to be an ambassador and I was going to make sure that whatever role that was given as long as it wasn’t anything negative I was going to push hard and work at it”.
Asked how she was selected as an ambassador, Becca said she got a call from Mr Fred Darko of the Ministry of Youth and Sports “who said that I had been one of the names that was shortlisted to be an ambassador for Brazil 2014,” adding that she was later given a letter, signed by then Sports Minister Elvis Afriye Ankrah, to that effect.
She explained that she was tasked as one of Ghana’s brand icons and she was to promote and market Ghana’s participation at the World Cup; create and enhance corporate participation in Ghana’s participation at the World Cup; and also make public appearances at key events for the country.
Becca was supposed to help sell Ghana to the world and also be a symbol for the country: “I went to corporate bodies in an attempt to solicit for funds to support the Black Stars” an endeavour she described as successful. “I think for me as an artiste, I did pretty well,” even though she was not able to collect physical cash.
The bubbly songstress revealed that this was her first time in Brazil and admitted that there were a few challenges as things didn’t go according to plan.
Becca, who performed twice with a live band, said her performance “was mind blowing, it was thrilling for me as an artiste. It was an opportunity for me to showcase what I’m made of, where I come from to promote Ghana…my performance attracted a lot of media attention even in Brazil.”
For her overall performance as an ambassador, the singer was positive that she did her best as an ambassador because she “was able to sell Ghana using my talent which is music. I promoted the name of Ghana…”
Asked if she met the Black Stars during her stay, the ‘No Away’ hit singer said she was in Natal throughout her time in Brazil and therefore did not meet the Senior National team.
