African-American Rapper Meek Mill Apologizes to Ghanaians for Heedless Video Shoot at Presidency

African-American rapper Robert Rihmeek Williams, known in the entertainment community as Meek Mill, has apologized to the people of Ghana and the Office of the President for unwittingly shooting a musical video at Ghana’s presidential palace, the Jubilee House, without heeding to protocol and security limitations.

A teaser of the video featuring some parts of the Jubilee House, with the rapper in the company of casually dressed background performers seen using the podium Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo uses to address the nation, went viral on social media from Sunday night of January 8, 2023.

The incident since got sections of the Ghanaian public outraged, as they took to social media, condemning it in view of a breach of respect for and lack of sense of security at the seat of government.  

A former minister of state and leading opposition Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Monday, January 9 tweeted condemning the development and calling for the heads of the officials in charge of protocol at the presidency.

“All those responsible for this despicable desecration of the Jubilee House by Meek Mill must be fired immediately. How do those explicit lyrics from the President’s lectern project Ghana positively? Is Ghana’s seat of government no longer a high-security installation?”, he asked.

But, having apparently followed the condemnation comments by Ghanaians on social media, Meek Mill has gone on his Twitter page to apologize to the Ghanaian public, saying his action and the event were of no ill motive.

“To the people of Ghana, no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana …. The fastest way to make connection is thru music and I wanted to do that with displaying art … I’m in my 30’s from America and didn’t know much about the lifestyle here”, he said.

Meek Mill came to Ghana in December 2022 as one of the guests for an Afro Nation concert but has since travelled back to the United States. His name, however, got back in Ghana and made the headlines when the rapper posted portions of the video he recorded at the Ghanaian presidential palace during his visit.