Entertainment pundit and artiste manager, Nana Poku Ashis, is advising creatives to exercise caution when aligning themselves with political campaign platforms. He warns that politicians often exploit artists to garner support during elections but fail to prioritize their welfare.
As the general election approaches later this year, Ashis highlights the recurring pattern of politicians leveraging the popularity and influence of creatives for their campaigns, only to neglect their needs once elected.
In a recent interview with Graphic Showbiz, Ashis emphasized the importance of creatives being mindful of such exploitation and urged them to prioritize their own interests and well-being.
“It is about time players in the Creative Industry come together as one voice to fight for a common goal because politicians have taken them for granted for far too long.
“We are only needed during campaign time so they can come to power and after that, we are left on our own. I have told myself that until a presidential candidate can convince me that he has our interest at heart and is willing to implement policies that help creatives, there is no way I am voting. I believe if every creative thinks like me, they will take us seriously and provide us with what we need to effectively execute our jobs.
“With how we have been treated so far, I don’t expect to see any creative jumping on any political platform to campaign for a politician until our voices are heard. In December, we will be voting, and we will be needed for campaigns, and this is the time we should make our voices heard. Let’s come together as one and fight for a common goal,” Ashis added.
According to Ashis, the creation of jobs, economic growth, and tax revenue for the government were all made possible by the creative sector, which was vital to the nation’s progress.
“It is about time the government took a serious look our way. The creative sector makes huge money for this country, so I cannot understand why we are neglected. Just look at all the money and jobs we created via just December in GH,” he noted.