NPP 2020 Manifesto: Why must we take you serious? - Halifax replies govt

Halifax Ansah Addo, an entertainment journalist, has vehemently rebuked the ruling New Patriotic Party over their 2020 manifesto that they launched in Cape Coast on Saturday, August 22, 2020.

Halifax bellowed that the Akufo-Addo government has failed the Creative Arts industry because they couldn't fulfill their 2016 campaign promises to the Creative Arts players that got them into power.

It could be recalled that the NPP promised to revamp the industry by setting up ultramodern theatres in some Regions and also establish a Creative Arts Fund to care for creative artists in the country among other promises.

But almost four years in government, Mrs Barbara Oteng Gyasi, the Minister of Tourism says her outfit shouldn't be blamed for the delay in executing the promises.

In an interview with host Ola Michael on Peace FM's ''Entertainment Review'' on Saturday, she indicated that the Creative Arts Bill needs to be passed into law before the Fund can be established.

She further stated that the bill is before Parliament and was hopeful it will be enacted in the early months of the Akufo-Addo administration's second term for her to initiate projects to best the Creative Arts industry.

However, in the NPP 2020 manifesto, new promises have been made by the government for Creative Arts without mention of the old promises.

Responding to the ruling party and the Sector Minister's statements, Halifax sought to understand why the government has dilly-dallied for years and still not set up the Creative Arts Fund.

''...How long does it take to pass a law? You're the majority in Parliament. If it were about other laws regarding loans and so forth, even when the minority walks out, you still have your way. What they say is let the minority have their say and let the majority have their way. Why don't you have that sense of urgency that this is bread and butter matter when it comes to Creative Arts issues?'' he queried.

''You have been slow in passing this law. You have been lazy in passing this law'', he slammed the Minister.

To Halifax, the Minister and her Creative Arts executives should all bow their heads in shame saying:

''What amazes me is that their 2016-2020 promises they gave us and have not delivered are not in their carry-forward manifesto. How should we believe them? You're telling us to give you a second mandate but the promises you failed to fulfill are not part of your second batch of promises. You made promises, gave us a timeframe of four years and your four years is elapsing but you haven't delivered on any of your promises; yet you're going for another 4 years seeking our mandate again and the first set of promises is not in the second set of promises and you say we should take you serious?''

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