FLASHBACK: Mark Okraku-Mantey can’t serve Creative Arts Industry as minister - Shatta Wale

In January 2021, “Dancehall King” Shatta Wale publicly disapproved of the decision of the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to appoint, Mark Okraku-Mantey as a deputy minister for the creative industry.

Shatta Wale explained that he cannot relate with and identify Okraku-Mantey’s impact on the entertainment industry.

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Read the full story originally published on 27 January, 2021

‘Dancehall king’ Shatta Wale has opined that the President of the Creative Arts Agency, Mark Okraku-Mantey, cannot serve in the role of deputy minister of the Creative Arts Industry.

According to him, he cannot pinpoint any impact he has received from the President of the Creative Arts Agency and as such he believes he does not deserve the position.

Speaking in an interview with YFM’s Rev. Erskine on the Y Leaderboard Series, he stated: “If our leaders are listening to me, I think it [Ministry of Creative Arts, Tourism and Culture] is something that they need to dissolve.

We are in the technology world now. Someone like Mark Okraku-Mantey can’t be there. Our leaders need to know. I am not saying it because I want to spoil his job. His job was a producer who became a Programmes Director at wherever he is but people like that don’t have vision.

Up till now, I haven’t seen his house. He cannot encourage me. Up to now, I have not seen certain things in the industry that has pushed me. We are talking about creative arts here. But ask yourself how many artistes have gotten their royalties in the industry. In this music industry that we are in, Amakye Dede is still complaining”.

The ‘My level’ hitmaker noted that if he was to be given a position as a Minister of the Creative Arts, there will be chaos as “he will just put everything to halt for like a month because our creative arts is not the best at all in this country”.

He encouraged that our leaders must let the structure work to benefit all artistes in Ghana.

Meanwhile, he has said that if he were to be appointed a minister of the creative arts, he will choose either Stonebwoy or Sarkodie to be his deputy minister.

Some in the creative arts industry are hoping that President of the Creative Arts Agency, Mr Okraku-Mantey will be appointed as Deputy Minister of the industry.

Mark Okraku-Mantey, reacting to the many recommendations by some industry players has said that he is much grateful for the endorsements across the industry as he describes the industry as a supportive one.