Respected media personality, George Quaye has extended a sympathetic hand to Ghanaian Chef Ebenezer Smith amid the storm of criticism flooding social media.
Chef Smith, who recently admitted to fabricating his claim of breaking the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest cooking marathon, found himself at the center of a nationwide scandal.
From February 1 to March 6, 2024, Chef Smith embarked on an ambitious cooking marathon at the Amadia Shopping Centre in Spintex, Accra. By July 2, he triumphantly announced that he had set a new world record.
However, this claim quickly unraveled when GWR clarified that they had no record of an application from Smith and that the certificate he presented was a forgery. The official record for the longest cooking marathon remains with Alan Fisher of Ireland.
The backlash was swift and brutal as social media exploded with disappointment and mockery.
The Amadia Shopping Centre, which had sponsored his endeavor also caused his arrest for breaching a contract they signed before he stated his culinary journey.
Furthermore, the Chefs Association of Ghana disclosed that Smith was not a registered member, despite using their logo to promote his attempt.
Amid this chaos, the CEO of Image Bureau, George Quaye took to his Facebook wall on July 6, 2024, to deliver a message that cut through the noise with an unexpected tone of understanding and encouragement.
George Quaye began by stating that Chef Smith did well even though he felt a deep disappointment and anger just like many Ghanians.
READ ALSO: “We don’t know him” – Ghana Registered Association Of Chefs disowns Chef Smith
He emphasized that an aspect of Smith’s response for which reason he felt he deserves some commendation even though he lied to everyone was the apology.
“In Ghana, owning up to mistakes isn’t always easy. We roast hard and can make you even hate yourself for doing the right thing,” Quaye wrote. He challenged Smith’s extreme reaction to the backlash, particularly his expression of feeling undeserving of life because of the lie. “Come on dude! Take that back! You absolutely deserve to live! Trust me, there are people who’ve done far worse walking around just fine,” portions of his post stated.
While not excusing Smith’s deception, George Quaye also highlighted the importance of how one handles mistakes.
He suggested that the courage to apologize and own up to errors is a trait many could benefit from.
Read the full post by George Quaye below:
