Creative Arts Players Quiz Akufo-Addo

President Nana Akufo-Addo will today meet the Ghanaian press at the Presidency to talk about government’s activities for the first half of the first year of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

The meet-the-press session has always been a platform for Ghanaians through the media to ask the president specific questions about the state of governance.

As a result, the president is likely to touch on areas such as health, education, governance, agriculture, energy and other key sectors of the economy, including inflation, exchange rates, among others.

The president will also address issues concerning campaign promises made by the NPP such as the ‘one-district-one-factory’ programme, US$1million per constituency policy, removal and review of some taxes.

The president is also expected to highlight his government’s programmes to create jobs, as well as make Ghana business-friendly.

There are hopes that he will be talking about government’s efforts in the creative arts industry and further give hints on plans to improve the industry.

NEWS-ONE has been asking some players in the entertainment industry, including actors, TV presenters, comedians, musicians, beauty queens, fashion designers, among others, what questions they have to ask the president, whether it is entertainment-related or not.

Below are the concerns raised by some creative arts players:

Yvonne Okoro – (Actress & Movie Producer)

I want to find out why nothing has been done with regards to the number of foreign content shown on our local television stations; a situation that has collapsed our film industry. I would want to ask the president what measures will be put in place to ensure the longevity of the Ghanaian film industry.

DKB – (Comedian)

I want to find out from the president, just as he planned to build a national cathedral with a mega capacity, does he have the same plan to build an event centre of the same mega capacity or even more? And if he has, when does he intend to implement it? I am asking this because our showbiz is lacking bigger capacity event centres to host our shows. We are tired of the thousands and one thousand five hundred capacity event centres we have all the time.

Nana Ama McBrown – (Actress & Movie Producer)

I am still looking forward to when a president will be keen on the Ghana movie industry. So I want to ask when will the president make the movie industry a major priority?

Samuel Gyandoh- (Film Crew President)

I like to know when government will inaugurate the film authority to start work and make the film act active.

Luckie Lawson – (Actress, Producer & Restaurateur)

What is the president doing about lack of support for the entertainment industry in the area of companies not sponsoring local contents like they do to foreign contents? Again, why is government not making entertainers brand ambassadors for some of its projects to make entertainers look good as it is done in other places like Nigeria?

Also, why are prices of food stuffs are skyrocketing like that? A month and half ago, chicken that sold for GH₵75 is now selling at GH₵90. ‘Intestines’ used to be GH₵100, now it is GH₵120. A bag of Lele Rice used to be GH₵175 but within the past month it now increased toGH₵320.

Regina Van Helvert- (Actress & TV Presenter)

I want to know how the president intends to help revive our entertainment industry again, especially the movie industry. What measures he is going to put in place to keep the industry active?

Michelle Danso – (Miss Ghana South Africa)

How will he make sure that Ghanaians in other countries besides Ghana are taken good care of, for instance, if xenophobic attacks start again? Why aren’t there funds to cater for students outside Ghana?