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Sierra Leone excluded from regional showbiz gala over Ebola [Africa Review](Africa Review Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Organisers of West Africa's MTN Project Fame fete have angered Sierra Leoneans by excluding the country from participating in this year's edition over fears of the Ebola epidemic. The MTN Project Fame West Africa is an annual reality TV musical competition which seeks to tap talent across English-speaking West African countries. It is the biggest musical competition of its kind in the region and is bankrolled by mobile phone giant MTN. The show, which is in its 7th season, has always been hosted in Nigeria. "We have a major challenge now with Ebola.. MTN have said they cannot take the risk of [the outbreak spreading]," read a text message sent to the show's representative in Freetown. Thus, MTN Nigeria could not risk Sierra Leonean participation, according to the text message. Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are currently battling an Ebola outbreak which was first confirmed in March and has since claimed over 400 lives. There are over 800 other confirmed cases across the three countries. Liberia is also part of the Project Fame competition but it is not clear if it has been excluded as well. Fury on social media The show's Sierra Leonean representative, Muctar Tejan Cole alias TJ Cole, has dismissed the fears of the organisers. Sierra Leone has participated in the competition for the last over six years. Fifteen youngsters are selected after an entertaining competition which takes a not very dissimilar form from South African M-NET's Big Brother reality TV show. The aspiring artistes go through coaching by a team of music professionals in the hope that they will become superstars. All the previous winners of the top prize of the competition have come from Nigeria. Two youngsters - Khadison Duwai and Ibraham Momoh - were picked in an audition process in Freetown earlier in the year to represent Sierra Leone. They were to fly out this week ahead of the show's commencement later this month. TJ Cole dismisses the reasons cited by the organisers to cut out the two Sierra Leoneans, stressing that there were credible doctors who could perform medical tests if need be on the boys. Already there is raging debate on social media where Sierra Leonean youth anger is pouring out. Young fans see the action as insult to the nation and are proposing retaliatory action, though they are not clear what. "It is either they allow the boys to take part or we forget about Project Fame in Sierra Leone forever. It is a rip-off," Freetown's arts and entertainment journal Salonejamboree quoted an angry commentator on its online edition on Thursday. The government has been studiously quiet, though an official promised to "look into the matter." (c) 2014 Nation Media Group. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |