Give us a minister who understands our industry

Animation of Thursday, January 14, 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

01/14/2021

A group of creative arts actors in the Ashanti region appealed to President Akufo-Addo to appoint a minister who understands the industry and will ensure continuity in the sector.

Speaking at a press conference Thursday in Kumasi, Nana Frimpong, a member of the group, said the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Arts had suffered greatly because ministers did not fully implement the ideas and the projects launched by their predecessors.

He also called on President Akufo-Addo to appoint a minister who will listen to and address the concerns of industry players and not just a few.

He gave examples of how the creators of Kumasi are still not consulted or involved in the region’s projects or the policies put in place by the ministry.

“The only time that all stakeholders in Kumasi were invited to share ideas on improving the creative arts industry was at the Apatakesie Ase renovation event in 2018,” he said. -he declares.

“The creative arts are very important in nation building, which is why we implore President Akufo-Addo to appoint a minister who understands the sector and who will ensure continuity,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo will appoint ministers to help him rule the country in his next term from 2021 to 2024 after winning the presidential elections on December 7, 2020.

During her first term, the president first appointed Catherine Afeku as Minister of Tourism and Creative Arts from 2017 to 2019. She was replaced by Barbara Oteng Gyasi, the former MP for Prestea Huni Valley.

Some industry players have said that Catherine Afeku struggled in her first year and had disagreements with industry players, but was extremely successful after her installation.

Some say it’s her style of broad stakeholder consultation that has done the trick for her.

His predecessor, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, also had difficulty settling down, but did well in the latter part of his reign as minister.

The press conference brought together actors, musicians, media professionals, sculptors, sound engineers and other actors from the creative arts space of the Ashanti region.