The Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has condemned remarks made by Member of Parliament for the Tolon constituency, Habib Iddrisu, during the vetting of Deputy Minister-designate for Agriculture, John Dumelo.
At the vetting held on February 25, 2025, Habib admonished John Dumelo, the Deputy Minister Designate for Food and Agriculture, 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.
The comment has since drawn widespread condemnation from creative arts stakeholders, highlighting the industry’s longstanding struggle for respect and recognition.
Speaking at the launch of Heritage Month, organized by Citi FM and Channel One TV, Dzifa Gomashie expressed her frustration over the repeated disregard for the creative arts sector in political discourse.
“It’s not the first time my space is being disrespected – we need to value it and appreciate it! It’s part of who we are,” she stated, emphasizing the significance of the arts in Ghana’s cultural and economic identity.
Meanwhile, a press statement signed by Richard Yaw Boateng, National President of Film Directors Guild of Ghana (FDGG) also expressed outrage and disappointment over the comment, describing it as “reckless” and “unfortunate.”
