A number of Ghanaian celebrities including performer Okyeame Kwame and actor Prince David Osei have been picked by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to formulate provisions for their manifesto.
The group form part of the party’s sub-council on tourism, arts and culture led by the Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority (NFA), Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante and the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Akwasi Agyemang.
Other members on the list are former minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Catherine Abelema Afeku, Dr. Ama Boafo-Arthur, Prof. Issahatu Adam, and the founder of the Glitz Style Awards, Claudia Lumor.
Nana Yaw Manteaw, Yaa Pokua Baiden, Kwaku Osei Korankye Asiedu (KOKA), and Festus Frimpong Gyebi, Eric Owusu Akreso, Dr. Ackah Kwame Nyameke and Radia Adama Saani are also on the list.
These stakeholders from the cultural and creative industries, have been entrusted to mold out things that hold more noteworthy fortunes for the sector.
Meanwhile, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamadu Bawumia has proactively vowed to create digital platforms for Ghanaian performers if he becomes President.
Asamoah Gyan Named In The Youth And Sports Manifesto Sub-Committee Of The New Patriotic Party
He expressed this during his lecture named ‘Ghana’s Next Chapter: Selfless Leadership and Bold Solutions for the Future‘ at the University of Professional Studies in Accra on February 7, 2024.
As per the Vice President, they will introduce other drives, for example, digital and streaming platforms for artists to make the tourism and the creativity arts a development pole in Ghana.
The NPP says they will build a digital platform for artists to make their products available to the global market.
Dr. Bawumia has additionally vowed to build on the Year of Return, Beyond the Return, and December in Ghana. Veep said in his address that, he will reduce the weight of taxes on the creatives, especially for film makers and musicians.
Dr. Bawumia, also added:
“To boost tourism and job creation, my government will implement an e-visa policy for all international visitors to Ghana to enable visas to be obtained in minutes subject to security and criminal checks.”
The New Patriotic Party (NPP), has come under serious ‘attacks’ by the creative industry stakeholders for renouncing on a number of its promises.
Some of the NPP’s unfulfilled promises are the setting up of the Creative Arts Fund to support artists, and the construction of theatres in Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale.
The NPP also promised that “given that our artistes do not have the capital to set up studios, we will, as part of the entrepreneurial hub’s strategy, establish, in partnership with the private sector, large recording studios in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi. Recording artists can rent space to do the recordings in these studios.” That promise has also not been fulfilled.
The construction of a convention and exhibition centre at the Ghana Trade Fair Company site, La has also not been completed.
