Mr President,

I have, once again, come to share my views, in writing, on the State of the Nation Address which you presented on 20 February 2020.

This, I believe, is the fourth under your watch, if my memory serves me right.

Within the past years of your State of the Nation Address, creative arts industry concerns have always been either the last to talk about or amongst the least; but this year, you began your speech in the august house with happenings within the creative arts industry. That was impressive and it tells you how the creative arts industry should be valued. I could tell from the texture of your voice and facial expression, how happy you were. Indeed, the creative arts industry is putting Ghana on the world map. 

Mr President, inasmuch as you made us know how successful the ‘Year of return’ was, you also failed to tell Ghanaians how much we accrued (revenue) from the ‘Year of Return’, or you do not believe in those figures given by your ‘eloquent minister’, Barbara Oteng Gyasi. Mr President, your minister had told Ghanaians that USD 1.9 billion was generated for the economy. 

Total arrivals in the country stood at about 750,000. Credit: Graphic Online, 16th December 2019. 

I am not sure you are shying away from this wonderful achievement and success by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. 

Mr President, are you not worried and sad about the repetitiveness of sentences in connection with the ‘Creative Arts Industry Bill’! It is sickening and makes me feel you are only fed with information you barely know nothing about; or, in reality, your government is lazing around and not being proactive in dealing with the passage of the bill. I am sure Mr President, you would want to keep faith with the creative arts, so, redeem yourself by helping to get the bill passed into law. 

Mr President, another thing I also want to touch on, which is increasingly becoming shameful to the NPP government, is the non-delivery on the promises made to the creative arts.  I do not want to repeat those promises but what I want to say is, your State of the Nation Address is becoming boring on the side of the creative arts. The manifesto promises to the creative arts industry, seriously, look bleak and I doubt sincerely if all can be achieved this year, as promised by the NPP.

The Writer is the Head of Accra100.5FM and No.1 105.3 FM

Class Media Group (CMG)[email protected] 0575655656.