Monday’s highly charged press conference between singers Sheebah and Cindy highlighted a number of things, among them a problematic pattern of Victoria University’s choice of ambassadors.
Sheebah has been a career ambassador for the university owned by business magnate, Sudhir Ruparelia since May.
A brand ambassador is a person engaged by an organization or company to represent its brand in a positive light, helping to increase brand awareness and sales. An ambassador is meant to embody the corporate identity in appearance, demeanor, values and ethics.
The weight of responsibility is even greater on an ambassador for an institution like Victoria whose core business is to groom young people and shape their traits. This is because all of these students are still in the process of building their values and ethics.
So, when Sheebah appeared at Monday’s press conference brandishing a bag with the wording ‘F**k You You F**kin F**k’, many found this very disappointing. The bag had been set up strategically on the table where the singer sat with words facing dozens of press cameras, streaming phone cameras and hundreds of onlookers who gathered at the university compound.
It was clear the singer deliberately wanted to get this message out.
When the University appointed Sheebah in May, they said her personal journey and the experiences she has gained along the way make her “an excellent role model for students seeking to achieve their dreams”.
Dr. Lawrence Muganga, the Vice Chancellor of Victoria University, said Sheebah’s “exceptional qualities” made her “the perfect spokesperson” (to students, employers, parents and graduates) for the university’s career programs. He also said as an ambassador, Sheebah would have a unique opportunity to interact with students and share her life experiences and values that have enabled her to excel in her career.
ALSO READ: The real story behind the Cindy – Sheebah battle concert
Monday’s gesture brings to question Victoria University ambassador’s values and her choice of language. One would be right to worry about the kind of example Sheebah is setting for the students who look up to her, or whether the university approves of such language.
Confronted by a journalist about the language on her bag and how she thought this would impact those who idolize her, Sheebah was unapologetic about it. The journalist had questioned what this gesture said about ‘orienting young people’, one of the main objectives the university had cited for sponsoring the September 15 concert at Kololo .
“I have a question for those commenting about my bag. Is there a word you haven’t read on your phone? Is there a word you are seeing for the first time? Many of you here are acting all holy but are seated on a heap of sins. Ignore my bag and focus on your deeds,” the Nakyuka singer said.
In fact, Wisdom Kaye, one of Sheebah’s cheerleaders at the press conference openly downplayed the journalist’s comment saying moralists should go to church.
“This is not a church. This battle is about entertainment. Those of you who want high moral standards should go to church and pray,” said Kaye, a popular opinion leader on issues in entertainment.
From a PR standpoint, the press conference was a disaster for the university. For the institution to use its campus to endorse such immoral behavior is incomprehensible.
There are also those that will opine that going by how the two singers dressed at the press event, Cindy appeared more ambassadorial than Sheebah. Whereas Sheebah is an entertainer who might not necessarily dress traditionally, by virtue of her responsibilities (in this case, a role model figure), it would not be too much to ask that she strikes a balance regarding the image she portrays.
In making its case for sponsoring the much-anticipated music battle concert between Sheebah and Cindy, the university in a statement issued on July 20 said the two singers have “demonstrated their capabilities as influential artists who significantly impact their audiences”, an admission that if negative, this influence can be significant.
“Their ability to influence the minds of the younger generation and the broader public is commendable,” the statement added.
The university also said it was “a deliberate choice” to associate with the youth who make up the majority of Ugandans, and that it would provide “guidance and assistance to effect positive change”. In addition, it conceded that the ways in which artistes affect lives extend beyond just their performances.
Sheebah’s conduct on Monday ran counter to the objectives that Victoria University set out to achieve – both with her selection as an ambassador and with associating itself with the September 15 concert.
It is not the first time the public has expressed concerns over the kinds of people Victoria University entrusts to represent it.
In 2021, the university came under criticism after it announced popular socialite Shanita Namuyimbwa (Bad Black) as their brand ambassador.
The criticism had a lot to do with Bad Black’s personality and values that many found to be questionable. Her criminal record (not to mention she has openly stated she would break the law given another opportunity) and the fact that she has become synonymous with abusive language being part of the problem.
In the wake of criticism on social media, the university had quickly disowned Bad Black, stating instead that she only reached out to the university to enroll as a student.
However, in what seemed to be a crisis management move, Victoria University again admitted that Bad Black was their brand ambassador.
“Ms. Shanitah Namuyimbwa is our University Brand Ambassador. Our job is to transform and rehabilitate those that desperately need help to become better people. Ms. Shanitah is a better example of such people that need urgent help,” the University said in a statement dated 29 September 2023.
“Victoria University calls upon the public to join us in transforming lives and education. Let us not judge others; we should leave that to God because He is Mighty,” the statement further read.
The Vice-Chancellor wrote that the University Management had explained to Bad Black the expectations of her new job and she had committed herself to the same.
This pattern of questionable personalities that Victoria University associates with its image lends credence to the argument made by some sections of the public – that the institution cares more about jumping onto publicity trends than creating positive impact as the official narrative often communicates.
