Ghanaian Hiplife icon Okyeame Kwame has shed light on his decision to turn down a position on the Manifesto Committee for Creative Arts under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
The committee, chaired by Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante, CEO of the National Film Authority, included diverse members from the creative arts sector, among them Okyeame Kwame and actor Prince David Osei.
Okyeame Kwame explained his choice in an interview with YouTuber Kwadwo Sheldon, revealing that although initially considering the offer, he opted to remain apolitical due to contractual obligations.
“Somebody called me and said that they wanted me to be part of the team. I said okay at first. Even my children were excited. It felt good.
“But then I remembered the contracts that I signed with various organizations and in those contracts, I was supposed to remain ‘apolitical’ or ‘neutral’.
“So I called this person and said that I would not officially be joining the team, I could only put my ideas forward. I remember telling that person twice. The person didn’t say anything,” Okyeame Kwame disclosed.
Despite communicating his decision to contribute ideas unofficially, his name still appeared on the committee list, prompting him to clarify his stance through a formal letter.
“That is why I had to write a letter to say that I had not agreed to do this on my terms as a non-partisan participant,” he said.
The artist expressed frustration with Ghana’s political landscape, contrasting it with the more relaxed approach in the United States, where artists openly align with political parties without facing significant repercussions.
“Does our democracy allow that? In the US, artists can openly support a political party but still get patronised.
“In Ghana, it’s different here. You can’t support a political party and move on normally. There is no such thing as political neutrality in Ghana,” he said.
Okyeame Kwame highlighted the challenge of maintaining political neutrality in Ghanaian society, emphasising the complexities faced by creatives in navigating political affiliations.