Samuel Nartey George, the Ningo-Prampram MP, has questioned the contribution of Mark Okraku Mantey, the Deputy Minister nominee for the Tourism, Arts and Culture ministry.

Speaking on Starr Chat on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, the MP indicated that some players within the creative arts space “are hypocrites” who have indulged themselves in politics than the politician.

He explained that when a political party is elected and promises the creative arts industry so many things, four years into that government’s tenure, none of the promises has been honoured but the creative arts industry players refuse to question the political party yet the industry players may be defending the political parties because they are comfortable where they are.

“We don’t have the creative arts industry beginning to hold the government to account because they are playing politics; this person wants to be the shining star so that when they come, they make him minister for creative arts and culture or deputy minister, I’m referring to Mark Okraku Mantey,” he said.

He asked, “what has Mark done to hold Nana Addo whom he campaigned for in 2016, who promised to build theatres for the creative arts, what has been Mark’s input right now that the cinemas are closed and the creative arts cannot flourish and they don’t have any source of livelihood, what has Mark used his proximity to Nana Addo to do for the creative arts?

“We are not opening the cinemas, we are not opening the theatres but churches are filling out the fantasy dome and doing programmes there, we are having church services. So, can’t we also open the cinemas and do social distancing there and observe the protocols?”

Sam George indicated further that despite the President’s directives, many bars in Accra are open “so if today you open the national theatre and say we should skip one seat or two seats, can they not still sell the tickets and make a living?”

“You, Mark Okraku Mantey, you’ve been appointed deputy minister, what did you do? Have you held Nana Addo to account for his promises when you campaigned for him?” he questioned further.