‘Gov’t Can’t Build Creative Arts Industry In 4 Years’

Ecow Smith Asante

Actor Ecow Smith-Asante is not convinced any Ghanaian government can build or help develop the creative arts industry the way it should within a period of four or eight years. Speaking in an interview with NEWS-ONE, he said because showbiz is always the least on the priority list of every party which comes to power, “the problems of this our industry cannot be solved by governments.” “If they take oil, education and roads, all these things are good for the country. I mean these are basic necessities that every country should have. So until they solve all these things, which I doubt, they ever finish. Our industry which is the showbiz industry is always like a top-up. They are not realising the income it can generate because they have not paid attention it because they don’t understand it,” he indicated. However, Ecow believes that can change if there is a national developmental agenda that all governments must follow. He has suggested there should be a system that requires a developmental blueprint that every Ghanaian government must follow irrespective of political manifestos. That, he explained, would be possible if all Ghanaians agree that there is a need to develop the creative arts industry to balance the country’s economic fortunes. “We should have creative arts or showbiz as part of government’s developmental projects that is not four years or eight years vision because we can’t build an industry within four years. It is like every government comes and out of the four years they don’t even have the luxury of time to achieve what they want to do,” Ecow mentioned. He continued, “It is not possible. So we should have it as part of government developmental agenda that could expand no matter the government that comes into power. Whoever comes will take over this national developmental project and continue from where the other left. So we don’t have to say that it is NPP or NDC that did it.” The actor added that he is currently not enthused with the movie industry because it is not vibrant as it used to be because governments have not done enough to support the industry. 
By Francis Addo  (fdee50@gmail.com