Reggae artiste, Ras Kuuku and President of the Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP), Kojo Preko Dankwa, have challenged the government to mention what they have done for the industry since coming into office nearly eight years ago.
According to Ras Kuuku, he was disappointed with the government for several reasons, especially for their inability to support Ghana to become a founder member of Grammy Africa.
Last month, it came out that Ghana missed a prime opportunity to host the Grammy Africa Awards, described as the biggest platform to celebrate and elevate the rich music talents across the continent.
Lady Dentaa Amoateng, Senior Advisor to the Grammy CEO and President of Grammy Africa, disclosed that Ghana was unable to meet certain requirements with the Recording Academy, citing resource constraints as one of the reasons.
Ras Kuuku believes that with adequate government support, Ghana could have made the list of founder members of the awards.
“We missed this big opportunity because our government did not show enough commitment. Now, we have countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa enjoying the prestige and economic benefits of hosting the inaugural event while we only get to file nominations. Why should this happen?”
Ras Kuuku
Kojo Preko Dankwa who echoes Ras Kuuku’s sentiments, believes the current administration has demonstrated a blatant disregard for the sector.
“The current government’s neglect of the creative industry is clear and did not start today. In their almost eight-year regime, what exactly have they done for the creatives? They failed to honour their manifesto promises which include its key campaign promise of constructing regional theatres. We equally lost a three-year deal with All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).”
Kojo Preko Dankwa
The president of FOCAP further described the recently held Mid-Year Budget Review by the finance minister on July 23, 2024, as a case of a lack of vision for the creative arts sector.
He noted that the government just doesn’t take the creative arts and culture space seriously.
“There is a clear lack of vision, lack of focus, lack of attention when it comes to creative art and culture. I mean, for him to be talking about tourism indicates that the focus hasn’t always been with the ministry,” he said.
He demanded answers to what has become of the five amphitheatres that were promised to the creative arts sector.
“There were things that they did say that they were going to do for the creative arts industry mid-year. What have we done? One of them is the fact that we want to build 5 amphitheatres and in the budget, it was clear there when we were doing the budget allocation. The deputy minister came to tell us that it’s between $500,000 and $600,000 to build one amphitheatre.
“This tells you again that they are not really focused when it comes to creatives, this is where the problem is. And for me, it is something that should speak to the creativity world or the industry or the sector that this government has really lost control when it comes to creative art and culture.”
Kojo Preko Dankwa
Fredyma Believes Government Has Significantly Supported The Creative Industry
Seasoned sound engineer Fredyma believes the government has created opportunities for creatives to thrive.
He noted that the conversation has been unfairly limited to just a few areas such as theatre and music, when in fact, the government’s efforts have benefited a wide range of creative fields, including event planning, fashion, concerts, and more.
According to Fredyma, the ruling NPP has fostered a conducive environment that has opened up immense opportunities for creatives across various industries.
“First of all, the NPP government has not neglected the creative industry despite not being able to complete certain projects in time. However, some have been started in earnest hoping for its completion by the end of the year. It is better late than never.”
Fredyma
He also mentioned that despite the usual complaints, the NPP government has significantly supported the creative industry.
“Like Oliver Twist, we will always ask for more. The NPP government has opened the floodgate for creatives to benefit despite the complaints, which is normal. The conversation around the table concerning the creative industry when the NPP assumed office tilted more towards the theatres they promised to build across the country in their 2016 manifesto. We however forget that the industry doesn’t revolve around only music and theatre.”
Fredyma
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