Ghanaian Highlife legend and Chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), Rex Omar has stated that the current Creative Arts Council headed by Okraku Mantey with support from Socrate Safo has no legal backing as such it will come as no surprise if the government does not have the basis to pay its workers for the work they do.
Speaking to Kwame Afrifa Mensah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’, he disclosed that it was the opposition National Democratic Congress’ idea to set up a Creative Arts Council.
However, before such a Council could be backed by law after all the hard work put into it, the NDC came out of power.
He noted that steps were not taken to back the Council by law and hence the current dispensation is illegal.
“NPP never set up the Creative Council. The idea of setting up the Creative Council was from the NDC.
We were waiting for the law to pass. What have Okraku Mantey and his colleagues done? The council they have now is illegal.
If someone has an idea and drafts all the ideas down and you come and take over, yes, you have created the creative arts council. It is there but what is their locus?
They don’t have any legal backing”, he said.
When quizzed by Kwame Afrifa Mensah if those in charge of the Creative Council are paid by the government even as he [Rex Omar] claims the set up is illegal, the highlife legend had this to say: “Outside gentility, home cry. I am not the one to say if they are paid or not. You can ask them when you meet them.
I know the organization has no legal backing so how will you pay. Which documents will the government use as a basis for their payment?”.
Furthering on what the Council has been able to achieve so far, he said, “So far as I am concerned nobody has benefitted anything from the creative council as far as the industry is concerned. It has no legal backing”.
In 2017, popular music producer and former music reality show judge, Mark Okraku Mantey was appointed the head of the Creative Arts Council of Ghana.
Similarly, filmmaker, Socrate Safo was appointed as the Director for Creative Arts at the National Commission on Culture (NCC).
Recently, however, Socrate Sarfo has voiced out that since the NPP assumed office and appointment was offered him as Director at the NCC, no funds have been allocated to his outfit; making it difficult for creative arts projects to be completed.
President of the Creative Arts Council Mark Okraku Mantey has said Socrate Safo, Director for Creative Arts at the National Commission on Culture (NCC) speaks with so many emotions because the back and forth in governance has rendered him highly frustrated.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
