Former Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Mark Okraku-Mantey, has voiced his concerns about what he described as an increasing “over-sensitivity” within Ghana’s creative industry.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, Okraku-Mantey emphasised that the rising sensitivity in the industry could be attributed to a misinterpretation of casual interactions between the Tolon MP, Habib Iddrisu and John Dumelo, the Deputy Minister Designate for Food and Agriculture.
At the vetting held on February 25, 2025, Tolon MP advised Mr Dumelo not to treat his new job as the movie industry.
“You are not in your movie industry, try to be as serious as you can,” he said.
This statement has not gone down well with most creative arts people who believe it is condescending to their trade and craft.
However, Okraku-Mantey suggested that the incident had been blown out of proportion.
“I think that the creative industry is becoming over-sensitive, and I will explain why,” Okraku-Mantey began.
“If you watch the video very well, you could see eye contact between Honorable Habib and Honorable John Dumelo. The two of them were having fun,” he explained.
Referring to their interactions during the vetting, Okraku-Mantey explained that the body language and exchange of words between the two suggested they shared a friendly rapport.
He pointed out that after a remark by Mr Habib, Dumelo’s response, characterised by an open gesture and a seemingly quiet comment, was indicative of a casual, friendly banter, not a serious disagreement.
He elaborated, “After Honourable Habib’s statement, watch the body language of John. Honourable John Dumelo opened the two arms and whether he was whispering or murmuring, he said something like ‘but you why’. You can go and watch the video again.”
He continued to suggest that the two individuals had a clear understanding and possibly forgot they were on national television.
Okraku-Mantey emphasised the difference between private and public settings, noting that the two seemed to have mistaken the informal nature of their exchange for a private moment, similar to what might occur in a setting like the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), which both men are known to frequent.
“This is a case where maybe they forgot that this was national television, and this was different from what they do at GIMPA,” he stated.
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