Okraku Mantey
The President of the Creative Arts Council, Mark Okraku Mantey, is calling on all members of the industry to help push the passing of the Creative Arts Bill instead of attacking the Council.
According to him, his outfit is handicapped because they do not have the mandate nor the funds to execute projects outlined for the creative arts sector.
This, he explained, is the reason for the Council’s inability to fulfill some promises made to the creative arts sector.
“It is not my fight, it is all of us our fight. We must all become crusaders to get the bill passed,” Mr. Okraku Mantey said on Hitz Daybreak on Hitz FM Monday.
He told Andy Dosty, host of the show, that the inability to get the bill passed has left many of the Council members, especially movie producer Socrates Safo frustrated.
Mr. Okraku Mantey, who doubles as the CEO of Slip Entertainment, said the Council, at a point, was asked to form a board but realised it was impossible for the board to work without the bill.
“Instead of fighting the Council, fight that the bill is passed,” he said, adding that the public can confidently say President Akufo-Addo and the Council did not help the industry if no work is done after the bill is passed.
“The bill has gone back and forth, and the last meeting was about changing it from a council to an agency. This bill (if we get it passed) will give the president and the executive power to invest in the creative arts.”
He acknowledged some industry players for their unyielding efforts to bring focus to the bill in many discussions they find themselves in both on-air and off-air.
However, he said it was imperative for every creative arts person to push for the bill, which he explained, is the core foundation and make-up of the Creative Arts Council.
Mr. Okraku Mantey added that his office, in the meantime, can only solicit for funds from non-governmental organisations and businessmen who are willing to fund.
However, movie producer Ola Michael believed that industry players cannot do much to push for a bill whose content has been tagged as “confidential”.
“We don’t know what is in that bill, how are we supposed to support it?” he quizzed.
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