Twenty-two year old child psychologist, Rebecca Acheampong, had been part of the Mentor 2 reality show, all the way to the wire.

She had survived all the drills and screening to be part of the final 12, gone on location for the music video and had her wardrobe already organised for entry into the Mentor House last Saturday.

But 24 hours before last Saturday?s ceremony of splendour at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra, Rebecca unleashed the bombshell that sent the organisers scrambling for a last hour replacement. ?I quit?, she told them.

In that circumstance, Cynthia came in handy from the same region (Ashanti) that Rebecca was selected from and this explains why in last Saturday?s launch, covered live on TV3, Cynthia appeared in an outfit different from the eleven other contestants.

Frantic efforts by phone and other means, made by the event managers, to salvage the situation had failed for, Rebecca had raised serious contractual objections and had apparently been told that she and her other colleagues had been secretly tested for and cleared of HIV/AIDS without any counselling and without their prior notification.

In spite of her information that the test proved negative, Rebecca felt offended by the principle of not being informed about the test and, according to the producer of her Afro-Pop album, soon to be released, she is in touch with her lawyers to contest the alleged violation of her privacy in court.

The Public Relations Manager of TV3, Mrs Janet Carboo-Danquah rejected the AIDS test story as absolutely false and said what the contestants went through was the normal medical examination that all prospective employees undergo.

She explained that since the artistes were going to live together and share facilities, including toilets, it had been the policy of the house to be sure of their state of health.

However, she said the programme frowns on promiscuity in the house and that a contestant?s HIV status is not part of their requirements.

She said even if they were interested they could never have done so without the consent of the artistes.
But the real point of departure between Rebecca and the Mentor organisers is the 12-page contract which would have tied her and her showbiz activities to TV3, the event managers.

According to Rebecca?s producer, Kiki Banson, when they sought to discuss the relevant clauses, a TV3 spokesman maintained that the contract was not for discussion, but a take-it or leave-it affair.

The contract empowers TV3 as the sole and exclusive manager of all the artistes and gives the station the exclusive right to extend the terms of the contract by giving the artiste a 30-day notice in writing. Nothing precludes TV3 from further extending the extended term after its expiry.

She also described as an infringement on her civil rights, clause 3.4.14 which states that without the prior authorisation of the station, the mentor artiste cannot take part in business, social or political activities that may divert her attention from or conflict with her obligations as provided in the agreement.

To all those non-negotiable clauses, Rebecca simply said: ?Enough, I?m out!?