Last two weeks actor Clement Bonney, known in movie circles as Mr. Beautiful delivered some items to some veteran showbiz personalities on behalf of the President John Dramani Mahama and critics have started talking.
It was reported that Mr. Beautiful who led the delegation of personalities called Celebrities for Mahama, made it known to the veterans that the very day President Mahama’s mother passed on was the same day that visit was scheduled so it had to be postponed to the next day.
Some of the veterans that benefitted from the cash advance and foodstuff donations on the first day included Mc Jordan Amartey, Mr Mensah, Kohwe, Odompo, JA Adofo, CK Man, Grace Nortey etc . They received GHc. 5,000 each and items including soap, and cooking oil. The gesture is a good one. Yes, to give money to these aged and sick celebrities is worth commending but I have a couple of questions and concerns about the donation that was made.
In the first place, I must be concerned about whose money is being used for all these. In a tape that captured Mr. Beautiful presenting the things to CK Mann, Mr. Beautiful said that this is not the first time the president has done something of a sort and that the President even gave him $20,000 to give to Odoi Mensah while he was receiving treatment in China.
He said he was given the money at 10 pm one day but when he was about sending it to Odoi the following day, he heard the man had died so he sent the money back to the President and he had his share.
This means the President is doing so well for these arts people but whose money is he using for all these? If it is his pocket money taken out of salary Ghana pays him as President, then we thank him so much. But if the money is one taken from the coffers of Ghana, then there are a lot more questions to answer.
I think, using Mr. Beautiful makes the gesture more politically – induced than a gesture really meant for the welfare of the veterans. President Mahama, coming into government, created a ministry that had a place for the creative arts and fortunately, the deputy minister is a creative arts person. My worry is why the President did not find it expedient to use such a government official to execute this task even if the money was from his pocket? Wouldn’t that have spruced up the image of the creative arts ministry?
The Musicians Union of Ghana has the Aging Musicians Welfare Fund that periodically doles out some money and relief items to the aged musicians. Couldn’t the President have added some of these monies to the fund so they could give them out on his behalf? All the beneficiaries of this donation are one way or the other members of any of the associations of the arts. Why didn’t the President ask the leadership of these unions to do this job?
We are in a political season and politicians would love to use any small means to score cheap political points. Mr. Beautiful is a mere actor who sympathizes with the National Democratic Congress on whose ticket the President serves as the head of state of Ghana, and so if he sent him in that capacity as his political campaigner, then any discerning person would know the motive behind the donation. I am not worried about Mr. Beautiful campaigning for the President because that is his constitutional right but mixing good activities like this with political underpinnings makes the whole thing wishy washy.
Even though the donation would serve as relief to these veterans, I also think we are at a point when we need policies that would create better systems and structures for the creative artist to live well and make enough money and not wait till they are old, weak and poor before we give them ‘chop and die’ money.
The National Theatre which was built under Flt. Lt. J.J Rawlings’ administration has since its establishment been the only auditorium for the creative arts. No government has been able to build another auditorium for entertainment programs. This has led to immense pressure on the available ones which are mostly not maintained occasionally. The Broadcasting Bill which can regulate activities of the media (a major vehicle for the creative arts) is still awaiting assent by parliament.
Similarly, the Creative Arts Bill and the Film Bill which could help make the creative arts section of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative arts functional is also resting in parliament for approval into a law. The teaching and learning of creative arts subjects and courses throughout the educational ladder have not been attractive and effective. Interestingly no government has put any measures in place to change the status quo.
Foreign culture dominance on the Ghanaian society is worrying for us all. The essence of globalization requires that we welcome other cultures but that must not be done at the expense of Ghanaian culture. Similarly, Ghanaian culture has less prominence of the international market.
These among other similar problems are sinking the arts deep into quicksand but instead of creative artists like Mr. Beautiful to come together, propose better policies along these lines and present to their political masters so they implement them, they are rather walking about spearheading projects that would win them cheap political points so at least they can fill their pockets and their bellies at present.
It is really sad how these celebrities that follow the politicians think. They meet with the Presidential aspirants, eat and drink with them and they leave to their various homes. It is about time stakeholders of the creative industry realized that our destiny is in our hands and that even though filling our bellies is important, it is better to enjoy for a longer time than to enjoy today and suffer tomorrow.
By virtue of this, we must press on the policy makers to implement long lasting policies that would create congenial environments for creative artists and entertainers – and not be overly enthused about ‘one-off’ gestures meant to basically score political points.
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