Rex Omar, a renowned Ghanaian Highlife musician, disagrees with the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture's (MoTAC) statement regarding a one-thousand-seat amphitheater in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
"First and foremost, it is short-sighted," he remarked. "He stated that it is because the performers cannot fill a larger space."
Visibly concerned, Omar argued that "if there is money to build the theater, it should be done with the future in mind, not just for today."
"We're building an industry," he emphasized. "Therefore, let's design it so that it can serve musicians, comedians, and any other event, including religious services.
"Let's build in such a way that it can accommodate a large number of people so that we won't have to construct another structure in the future."
The 'Dangerous' hitmaker urged Mark Okraku-Mantey, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, to reconsider his position and "come back because I completely disagree with him."
Saturday, April 30, 2023, Rex Omar appeared with Nana Romeo on Accra 100.5 FM's Entertainment Capital.
He acknowledged that "it is difficult for the government to raise funds for some of these projects, particularly in the current economic climate."
Nonetheless, the Highlife veteran insisted, "if it is true that the time has come to undertake such a project, then let's get started."
Also, "make up your mind," the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) told Mr. Okraku-Mantey. "Today, it's this, and tomorrow, it'll be that. Today you say it's a studio, and now you say it's an amphitheater with a thousand-person capacity; you had nothing better to say."
Mr. Mark Okraku Mantey, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, began construction on an amphitheater in Kumasi on April 27 by turning the first sod.
The state-of-the-art amphitheater with a capacity of one thousand is expected to be completed in July. It is currently under construction at the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Kumasi.