Award-winning gospel musician Joe Mettle has reiterated his refusal to accept sponsorship from alcoholic brands.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Joe Mettle emphasized that he would not allow such brands to sponsor his events. He stated, “It is a no for me. Aside from faith, you can only work with brands that complement what you do.”
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When questioned about accepting anonymous sponsorship from an alcohol brand, Joe Mettle responded, “With brands that give sponsorship and do not want to be mentioned, that is the silent sponsors, because silence is silent, I don’t know what I will do about that now though.”
He further explained that corporate sponsorships usually come with conditions, often requiring some form of repayment. “A company’s sponsorship is mostly not free since no matter what, you will be required to pay it someday since you will be invited on their stage,” he stated.
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According to the FDA’s guidelines for the Advertisement of Foods published on February 1, 2016, “No well-known personality or professional shall be used in alcoholic beverage advertising.” This guideline aims to prevent minors from being influenced by celebrities to consume alcohol.
The FDA noted that this ban aligns with a policy by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is part of efforts to protect children and young people from being drawn into alcoholism.
However, a citizen named Mark Darlington filed a suit against the FDA’s directive, arguing that it violated the right against discrimination as guaranteed by Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution. The Supreme Court, in a 5-2 majority decision on Wednesday, June 19, dismissed the case and upheld the FDA’s directive. The court ruled that the FDA’s directive was reasonable and did not contravene the constitution.