This initiative, promised in the 2020 manifesto, aimed to provide an advanced recording facility at a reduced cost for artists. However, four years later, the promise remains unfulfilled.
During the 3Entertainment Creative Arts forum on August 30, Okraku Mantey explained that the industry was divided on the issue.
“the industry fought against it, it is explicit and it was all over. Some were for, some were against but the against were higher.”
While some supported the idea, the opposition was stronger.
Critics argued that existing studios were already meeting their needs and suggested that the funds be distributed among industry professionals instead.
“If the industry shows interest that we should build, why not. The industry rejected and said we should share the money amongst them but they already have studios which were doing well,” he stated.
Notably, Nacee, a well-known figure in the industry, was mentioned as having been vocal against the proposal.
According to Okraku Mantey, Nacee had previously expressed support but recently changed his stance, now believing that the studio is no longer necessary.
“You can quote me anywhere. Nacee, a few weeks ago was on Hitz FM, he went to Peace FM again and was asked and he said at the time, he supported but he feels that now, we don’t need it.”
The Kwahu Paragliding Festival, a renowned international event drawing in crowds of thrill-seekers and tourists, is gearing up for its 19th edition, promising yet another unforgettable adventure.
Scheduled from Good Friday, March 29th to Easter Monday, April 1st, 2024, the festival will unfold from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm daily amidst the stunning landscapes of the Odweanoma Mountains in Atibie-Kwahu.
Organized under the auspices of theMinistry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Ghana Tourist Development Company, and various local assemblies and councils, the festival was officially launched on March 4th, 2024, at Kwahu, Abene.
Preceding the event, officials from the Ghana Tourism Authority will pay respects to the Kwahumanhene and Atibiehene in their respective Palaces.
Renowned tandem pilots from across the globe are set to fly passengers during the 4-day extravaganza, including pilots from the USA, Japan, Peru, Germany, and Ghana.
Initiated in April 2005, the festival has become an integral part of the Easter festivities in Kwahu, promoting both domestic tourism and national unity. For those eager to take flight, the rate for the paragliding festival stands at One thousand cedis (GH₵1000) per flight, offering an unparalleled experience in the Ghanaian skies.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the University of Education, Winneba’s School of Creative Arts, is gearing up to host the highly anticipated Inter Tourism Expo this year.
Under the theme “Reviving Sustainable and Equitable Economic Growth in Tourism,” the three-day expo is set to take place at the prestigious Kempinski Hotel in Accra from 18th to 20th September 2023.
The event promises to be a platform for individuals and companies to gain valuable insights into the significance of fostering mutual partnerships, enhancing brand visibility, promoting thought leadership, receiving sector-specific mentorship, accessing market insights, and maximizing meaningful engagements.
With a primary focus on showcasing the best of Ghana’s destinations, brands, services, and products, the expo aims to captivate not only the interest of the Ghanaian population but also attract visitors from various countries, fostering a sense of appreciation and admiration for the nation’s diverse and captivating tourism offerings. The ultimate goal is to stimulate sustainable and equitable economic growth within the tourism sector, driving positive outcomes for both Ghana and its international guests.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has organized a training programme for some drivers in Kumasi to equip them with skills needed to improve the tourism sector.
The programme was executed by the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), an agency under the wings of the ministry tasked to, among others, oversee the development of tourism in the country.
“President Akufo-Addo is enthused about tourism because of the value it possesses. Consequently, he is poised to see the sector progress and these are some of the measures for a smooth execution,” said Mark Okraku-Mantey, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture during a brief speech.
Lauretta Kuadey, GTDC Projects Manager reiterated to the media after the first phase of the programme that it was imperative drivers were trained on how to interact with tourists considering that visitors engage their services to their respective destinations, stressing that drivers are ambassadors of tourism.
“We decided to train drivers within the tourism sector as we have identified their role in promoting tourism,” she said. “They are the front liners who meet tourists when they arrive in the country and so this programme will help propagate the good news of the tourism sector, prospects and everything. If tourists arrive, they can tell them potential places to visit.”
Ms. Kuadey disclosed that a total of three thousand (3000) drivers have been trained for the first phase and “we hope to make it bigger in the future”.
Aside from the training the drivers received, they were given “certificates for participation, bumper stickers and some t-shirts” as a reward for making themselves available for the exercise.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) – the statutory national tourism regulator and other frontline analogue tourism statutory institutions, stakeholders and players in the tourism nomenclature, including the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB), the National Commission on Culture (NCC), the National Theatre of Ghana (NTG) and others are aware of defects in the National Tourism Development Strategy and blueprint; and are therefore working assiduously around the clock, with proactive and action-oriented pragmatic steps and processes to address the noted defects in the sector to reposition and make Ghana an attractive and competitive international tourism destination hub.
Dr. Seth Adjei–Baah, the Board Chairman of the GTA Governing Board, said this in an exclusive interview with the Business & Financial Times (BFT) Tourism Desk yesterday in Accra.
The GTA Board Chairman was reacting to an article published in the October 27 issue of the B&FT, which pointed to issues of and defects in Ghana’s tourism development strategy and legal regime.
Dr. Adjei-Baah, who is a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkawkaw and also former President of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, asserted that the GTA and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) at large are not oblivious of gapping defects in Ghana’s Tourism Development Blueprint, as a major obstacle that has retarded and obstructed Ghana’s tourism development, resulting in Ghana’s still and stunted growth and progress over the years.
According to the GTA Board Chairman, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, is an action-oriented man who is working hard to turn Ghana’s tourism fortunes around with an ambitious target to make tourism the foremost contributor to gross domestic product (GDP). He indicated that as a practical action to achieving the laudable and ambitious target, the minister has prioritised and called for collaboration among all tourism sector agencies.
Dr. Adjei-Baah said MOTAC, the sector minister, tourism sector implementing agencies and their boards are all tasked to undertake regular, strategic joint meetings as a pragmatic approach to address loopholes and defects in the national tourism development strategy for holistic national tourism development.
The MOTAC implementing agencies boards’ strategic and collaborating meeting, according to Dr. Adjei-Baah, is organised by the GTA Board and coordinated by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GTA, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman.
GTA Board Chair revealed that the most recent MOTAC implementing agencies collaborating meeting took place on 28th October, 2022.
Mr. Okraku-Mantey said over the period, these individuals have passed countless derogatory comments which have been overlooked by the presenter and this according to him, could land her in serious trouble.
He said most often, McBrown fails to issue disclaimers to the numerous allegations raised by her guests or pundits.
“Nana Ama McBrown, my sister. The job that you have involved yourself, if you want to do it and do it well, please be mindful. The defamatory comments that people usually say about others on your show, correct it, so, we don’t come back here. I won’t say she doesn’t have enough knowledge about what she does but a lot has been said on that show that if the victims want to take her on, she would go to court every day.
“What she doesn’t know is if someone says such things on your show and you don’t issue a disclaimer, you have also done a repeated publication during the defamation. You can be sued together with Despite media,” Okraku-Mantey stated during a discussion on Peace FM’s Entertainment Review show.
The deputy minister’s comments come on the premise of some claims that have been leveled against him on the show lately.
The United Showbiz program has witnessed back-to-back allegations from the likes of actress Salma Mumin and musician Tic against Mr. Okraku-Mantey recently.
Tic claimed that Mark Okraku-Mantey once spoke ill of his concert whiles Salma accused the deputy minister of being an arrogant judge during TV3’s “Ghana’s Most Beautiful” pageant.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Bengbu International Technology and Economic Cooperation Limited (CBITEC), a technical conglomerate that specialises in international design, construction, and management of projects, for the construction of a modern theatre in Kumasi.
The MoU was signed in Kumasi on Saturday, September 5, 2020.
The sector Minister then, Mrs. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, signed for the ministry, while Mr. Li Zhongchun, the business executive of CBITEC, signed for the company, with the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Kumasi, Mr. Osei Assibey Antwi, serving as a witness.
Fast forward to 2021, Mark Okraku Mantey, the incumbent Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture, revealed that the Kumasi theatre promised by the government will reach its full completion by the end of 2022.
Mr. Okraku Mantey disclosed this information when he was speaking on an Accra-based FM station.
He said “Government’s job for the creative industry is to create an enabling environment, give you the logistics that as individuals we cannot buy like a theatre. That is why the creative arts school in Kumasi right now has a theatre that is going to house close to 2000 people.”
“We asked for it when I was with you four years ago and the President has taken steps that we must start. By next year, pictures of Kumasi’s theatre will be out. By end of next year, the theatre will be complete,” he added.
But here we are almost closing the chapter of the year 2022, however, the promised Kumasi theatre by the NPP gov’t spearheaded by Akufo Addo is nowhere to be found in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi.
Reacting to this in the studios of Kumasi-based Nhyira FM, Ruthy believes the Akufo Addo-led NPP administration has done absolutely nothing to push the creative arts sector in the region since coming to office.
The 2023 edition of the Pan African Historical Theater Festival (PANAFEST)/Emancipation Day has been launched in Accra with a renewed commitment to reclaim the African family, while confronting the challenges of the past to make way for transformational opportunities.
The day slated for July 19 – August 1, 2023 would be on the theme; “Re-Claiming the African Family: Confronting the Past to face the Challenges of the 21st century.”
It is celebrated annually to mark the abolition of slavery in the British Colonies in 1862 and its annual observance introduced in Ghana in 1992.
Speaking at the launch on Friday, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, in a speech read on his behalf, said PANAFEST which was conceived and developed in Ghana was the longest consistently celebrated Pan African Festival in the world.
He said it had been in existence since 1992 and its forte was to use the powerful medium of the arts and intellectual interaction to speak the unspeakable, raise awareness, build bridges and generate healing.
“PANAFEST originated as a state-led festival in 1992 and has become a powerful Ghanaian initiative of which our nation can be justifiably proud,” he added.
DrAwal expressed the ministry’s commitment to continue to collaborate with the Foundation and other actors involved in the initiative.
“Additionally, I expect that building up participation by different communities and that of Ghanaian creative and by the Ghanaian public in general will be take up seriously. I also expect that participants will be able to have the experience of both those iconic features as well as additional innovations to keep them coming back to the festival and to Ghana,” he said.
The Chairperson of PANAFEST Foundation, Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy, said PANAFEST 2023 rode on the many insights gained from 2021, however, over the last two years, a number of important trends appeared to mark the existence of African people across the world.
She stated that the challenges of the 21st century must be confronted to make way for transformational opportunities, adding “And so we must as the world be buffeted by tornadoes of change should we sit like victims or are we going to carve out our place.”
Prof Sutherland-Addy called on the African family to take its fate into its own hands and point out the challenges to re-unite and illuminate new paths towards transformational unity.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), MrAkwasiAgyeman, said the 2023 edition of the PANAFEST would be exciting and different from the previous ones which would showed hope and unity among the African descent.
He promised his outfit’s commitment to keep the relationship between the global African family and Ghana’s role as the beacon of Pan-Africanism.
The event would be marked by wreath laying, Return Journey, Traditional Akwaaba ceremonies, grand durbar with chiefs and queen mothers, Bazaar/Expo, colloquium, reverential night/emancipation vigil, exhibitions, performances, tours to significant sites, among others, and would be finally climaxed at AssinManso in the Central Region.
Member of the opposition National Democratic Congress Communication Team on Entertainment, Arts and Culture, Baba Sadiq, has schooled Hopeson Adoryeon how tickets were generated for the Global Citizen Festival after the New Patriotic Party member alleged that he had contracted 75 people to boo the president at the event.
Sitting in as a guest on the United Showbiz Show aired on October 1, 2022, Baba disclosed that every ticket generated for the Global Citizen Festival was traced to an IP, which makes it impossible for one person to get more tickets after they have registered.
“He mentioned that you could just go online and buy a ticket to the concert. You see the life of a liar, he doesn’t even understand the ticket. He doesn’t even understand that you cannot even buy tickets.
“The way the event was structured, you cant even go online and get 25 tickets. You have to take action. There is something called an IP address and he doesn’t know. I took my time and understood,” he said.’
According to the former 3Music Boss, after Hopeson accused him and others of contracting 75 people to boo the president, some people in the NPP reached out to him not to take Hopeson seriously.
“Even his people in government are telling me that forget about this guy, this is not well. His people in government look at him and say forget about this guy because his own Vice President he didn’t go easy on, is it you he will go easy on?” he disclosed.
The deputy minister’s disappointment comes after a tweet by Sarkodie bemoaning that creatives work tirelessly to project the country to investors and tourists with no help whatsoever from the government.
“I was somehow disappointed when Sarkodie made those comments,” Okraku-Mantey said.
According to the government appointee, the international Global Citizen Festival, which was held at the Black Star Square and graced by performances from creatives, including Sarkodie, was spearheaded by the government. In that regard, it would be unfair for Sarkodie to say the government does not support creatives.
“Sarkodie made those comments despite performing a few days after the Global Citizen Festival. So was the government not a key player in bringing the festival to Ghana?” he quizzed.
The politician further noted that the general impression concerning the government’s support of creatives should be re-accessed. He explained that government could provide logistical support, technological innovations and other initiatives that will benefit the entire creative ecosystem but not directly offer financial support to creatives.
“I see that people think government will carry money for you (creative) to operate. Government will not be able to do that. It can only support with logistics, technology and initiatives which will inure to the benefit of everyone at once,” he explained.
He ended by asserting that financial investment is at the behest of the private sector.
“It is the private sector that provides financial investment opportunities for creatives. Government will not invest, as in providing cash to a creative,” he maintained.
The deputy minister made these comments during the entertainment review show with Kwasi Aboagye on Peace FM, Saturday.
Following Kirani Ayat’s copyright fight against the government, Sarkodie threw his weight behind his colleague.
“We (creatives) do a lot to put our country out there, attracting a lot of tourists and investors that translates to money to help nation building yet that’s one sector with no support… I feel my brother and support him especially if he actually reached out and didn’t get help,” Sarkodie’s tweet read.
In a press statement released by his company, New Africa Nation, the musician’s team revealed that some scenes were picked from his video ‘New African Girl’.
“We have sanctioned works in the past for Government use, most notably, our 2018 record, “Bra Fie” featuring Damian Marley, which was used as the theme song for the “Year of Return’; which we launched via our TINA Festival alongside the President of Ghana,” they noted.
Beneath the deep blue sky, the Black Star is calling. Follow the stars and let them take you on a journey of our people. I invite everyone to the country at the centre of the world – #Ghana 🇬🇭. #VisitGhana2022pic.twitter.com/2m5KC2QTkt
They added that “however, no such process was observed in relation to the recent video in question regarding our record “New African Girl”.
“We sympathise with Kirani Ayat. As creative persons, we sacrifice a lot to be able to put together a song, let alone a whole video with high-quality production value.”
This comes after musician Kirani Ayat called out the Tourism Ministry and the Authority for copyright infringement.
A video shared on President Akufo-Addo’s social media handles promoting tourism used footage from his ‘Guda’ music video.
Kirani Ayat who was not pleased to see his work used without his consent noted that he spent money in making the video without aid from anyone and yet he was not compensated after his content was used.
“The president of Ghanahas used my video “GUDA” in this ad to promote Ghana. I was actively reaching out to the Ministry of Tourism in 2018/19 to use this video to push tourism in the North and got NO reply, yet today it’s in an ad and no one reached out to me for permission,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Fuse ODG believes their rights were infringed upon because of the lack of respect and understanding of intellectual property.
“As a Company, we have stayed true to our own mission-investing hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote Ghana over the years, which we will continue to do. Clearly, mistakes have been made by the Government in this situation, but hopefully, they can take corrective action to compensate accordingly.”
The singer noted that they hope the GTA and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture invest in more education around intellectual property both internally and for the creative sector.
“In the meantime, our legal team is in discussion with the Ministry and their legal team in order to resolve this issue,” he added.
Instead, he had asked that more joint efforts be made among the two countries.
In an interview with Hitz FM, the deputy minister described the banter between the two West African nations as “old-fashioned.”
“I hear this conversation on Ghana and Nigeria. Are we not tired of asking the same question for far too long? The truth is that the thing between Ghana and Nigeria is outmoded.
“We are supposed to talk about how our collaborations can help us forward and not the competition between Ghana and Nigeria,” he said.
He, furthermore, stated that Ghana has signed a treaty with over fifty other African countries to encourage these countries to work together.
“We have signed a treaty called the African continental free trade area, which means Africans are supposed to work together.
“Now we are even breaking the boundaries of the countries. 55 countries signed this treaty and Ghana signed first,” he stated.
According to Mark, the discussion about who is better between Ghana and Nigeria must be settled.
He also conceded that all energies should be directed toward pushing joint efforts among other African nations.
“I think I am here to make that conversation rest. Let’s begin to think of how to do more things together to compete against other parts of the world,” he added.
