Actress and entrepreneur, Lydia Forson has appealed to the government to treat Ghanaian entertainers with equal respect given to stars from the Diaspora.
The actress also lamented that privileges and access to state properties are sometimes given to these Hollywood stars who visit the country for holidays when the same is not done for Ghanaian entertainers.
Lydia Forson further compared Nigeria to Ghana to buttress her point noting that Nigerians will never give “better treatment to an outsider” than their very own person.
“And give them an access that you will never give me. An access to helicopters, to hotels, to discounts, to do Hip hop ray at Jubilee House that you will not give me, it is a mindset. I have no problem with them bringing entertainers because I have a lot of great friends outside who come to town.
“Let me give you an example. If you go to Lagos, I hate these comparisons but it’s the reality. They will never treat an outsider better than they will treat you, they will treat you on the same level. So, if you’ve invited this person here and say that Lydia we are trying to take this person to this safari, come along. We have to treat ourselves with the same kind of respect and other people will respect us.”
Lydia Forson
She recounted an experience where she paid a courtesy call to a certain Chief she didn’t want to mention his name with some Hollywood stars and was acknowledged by the Chief in the presence of the Hollywood stars and others gathered.
The Chief’s act she noted created a “worth-knowing” experience urging for such respect to be given to Ghanaian entertainers.
She advised that Ghanaians should treat themselves with the same kind of respect they give to diasporans.
Forson Urges Politicians and Citizens To Do Their Parts
Lydia Forson lamented the poor leadership by politicians noting that Ghanaians have also contributed to the poor leadership in the country.
She believes that Ghanaians are not holding political leaders accountable enough prompting leaders to shun accountability to citizens.
Lydia Forson further emphasized that the country would have been freed of corruption, economic hardships, and many other problems if both politicians and citizens practiced the good that they addressed.
“Leaders have failed us and we have failed ourselves in the process. The reason why I keep coming on because when I talk about love, it sounds like a fairytale. Truly, if we were everything we preached, it would be a better place. It is our responsibility but it is also the leaders’ responsibility and we have all failed each other.”
Lydia Forson
According to her, she is a punctual person because of how she was brought up, adding that if she was running a company she would have to set a precedent for her workers to follow.
Although the actress believes Ghanaians are still pushing hard in terms of demanding accountability from leaders, Lydia thinks there is still much more to be done to demand accountability from leaders in the country.
She recalled how she was criticized anytime she posted on social media, stating that it was not so anymore because she is now understood.
“It is our responsibility but it also the leaders responsibility. Now we are doing well. We have come a long way. I see a lot of young people trying and it is not easy but then there are also people who say shut up, it is politics. We have a lot more to do. I am amazed at the young people in this country. They are just fantastic because they are trying. It’s not easy and we have a long way to go”
Lydia Forson
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