Deputy Creative Arts minister, Mark Okraku-Mantey
• Mark Okraku Mantey said investors usually decline to assist the industry due to the unnecessary public feuds
• He said celebrities should stop washing their dirty linen in public
• He also cautioned celebrities to protect their brands
Deputy Creative arts minister, Mark Okraku Mantey, has lambasted some celebrities for their constant and habitual feuds on social media.
It has been the case that most Ghanaian celebrities engage in series of banters on social media and even physically.
In recent times, what usually starts as a trade of insults usually ends up in the revelation of all kinds of secrets and the washing of dirty linen in public.
But touching on these happenings, Mr. Okraku Mantey said the petty fights, to an extent, affect the industry adding that it gets to a point where no investor wants to associate themselves with the industry.
“It’s unfortunate these things happen. What we do not know is that these things affect our industry. They prevent us from getting sponsors and sometimes the investors we crave for. Why do we negate our industry with these things, are these the only things we can sell about our industry? How about selling the other side of it which is the positive ones, can we sell parts that will attract respect, that will attract the corporate world so that they can work with us, people don’t know but these things affect the industry gravely,” he stated in an interview with Graphic .
“The washing of dirty linen in public is what we see or read about on social media in recent times, people write just anything without thinking about the effect it will have on our industry. We must go back to the drawing board. And that is why the ministry is bent on reorienting everyone. Let us even put the industry aside, let’s talk about the individuals, like I always say, you reap what you sow. We are having fun or whatever today but have we thought about the future?” he added.
The deputy minister however advised creatives to be warry of the negative perceptions tied to their brands.
He also entreated celebrities to pay heed to the things they post on social media as the internet never forgets.
“Do we think about the fact that we will not be as ‘hot’ as we are today and that in some years to come, the things we do today will affect certain things that may come our way? That a time will come, people would want to come to us for advice, they will need us as opinion leaders etc? Look at someone like former world champion, Azumah Nelson, today everyone wants to associate himself/herself with him and it is because of who he is, he is down to earth, people go to him for advice among others,” he noted.