Entertainment
[FULL RELEASE] FOCAP’s One-Year Scorecard on President Mahama Administration’s Performance in the Creative Arts Sector
The Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP), a pressure and advocacy group, has spent the past year closely observing the Mahama administration. After twelve months in office, we believe it is only fair to present an annual assessment of government performance, particularly in relation to the Creative Arts Sector.
To begin, FOCAP commends President Mahama and the Minister for Finance for the relative stability and improvement of the economy. The strengthening of the cedi has had a positive impact on creatives, especially those who rely on dollar-denominated online subscriptions and digital platforms. This relief is acknowledged and appreciated, and we hope the cedi continues this upward trajectory.
That said, economic gains alone were not the reason creatives overwhelmingly voted for this government. The Creative Arts Sector voted based on clear, documented promises contained in the NDC’s official manifesto, and it is against this document that we must now assess performance.
Over the past one year, the administration executed several interventions, which we believe are Achievements:
Ghana’s National Theatre in Accra is scheduled for a major refurbishment starting in 2026, which we believe is a major milestone since it has been long overdue.
Funding was secured in 2025, with the Chinese government committing 30 million dollars for the project, with the Ghanaian government also allocating funds in the 2026 budget.
In 2025, the John Dramani Mahama-led government appointed the first-ever Executive Secretary for the Creative Arts Agency (CAA) as well as the board members since Act 1048 was gazetted. The erstwhile NPP government failed to appoint an executive secretary and a board, and rather, the President’s daughter, Gyankroma Akuffo Addo, illegally occupied the position.
Ghs20 million allocated in the 2026 budget as seed capital to support various creative industries and their value chain. This is a promise President John Dramani Mahama made in 2025 when he met the press at Jubilee House.
Under the NDC and John Dramani Mahama government, they appointed more creatives into governance to play critical roles, and we believe this is very commendable. The President, in his 120 days, promised and delivered the launch of Black Star Experience, which is the banner of the creative, tourism, and cultural manifesto of the NDC.
In 2025, Ghana’s fashion contributed about $2.42 billion to the national economy, according to the minister for tourism, culture, and creative arts.
A listening government: FOCAP raised issues of the Creative Arts Agency website, which was directed to a private website, and it was fixed to bring stability and discipline within the agency.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, actively started working to revive the Kumawood film industry, which faced struggles, by establishing a ministerial committee to revive the industry. A 17-member committee was established in 2025. This has led to the formation of the Kumawood Ashanti Film Association.
GTDC launched Accra by Night, a popular government-backed night tour initiative offering an immersive experience of a tour of Ghana’s capital, highlighting culture and history.
Establishment of a Black Star Experience (BSE) office to serve as Ghana’s leading brand in culture, Arts, Tourism and creative engagement, bridging local and international audiences.
These are the achievements of the John Dramani Mahama-led administration over the one year they have been in office.
As we mentioned earlier, the Creative Arts Sector voted based on clear, documented promises contained in the NDC’s official manifesto, and it is against this document that we must now assess performance. We understand that a manifesto promise is scheduled to be achieved over the term of the administration, but as we say in the Ghanaian parlance, Agoro bɛso a, ɛfiri anɔpa! Literally: If the festival or carnival or party is entertaining, it starts in the morning.
The Black Star Experience: Promises vs. Reality
Under the Black Star Experience, the government promised the rollout of the following flagship programmes:
- Pan-African Month celebrates heritage, history, and diaspora engagement
- Ghana Film Festival and Awards Month
- Ghana Music World
- Culinary Month
- Architecture, Design, Arts and Crafts Month
- Fashion and Textiles Month
- Literacy/Literary Month
FOCAP states categorically that none of these initiatives were delivered or began within the first year of the administration. This is deeply disappointing. The only related activity, Taste the Culture, left much to be desired, and FOCAP has chosen, for now, to withhold comment on its execution.
Other Manifesto Promises
The second set of commitments included pledges to:
- Support young digital content creators to promote Ghanaian culture
- Revive the Creative Arts Fund to provide sustainable financial support for start-ups and struggling creative enterprises
- Review and strictly enforce broadcasting, digital media, and local content provisions
- Strengthen copyright administration and improve royalty collection and management
- Partner with the private sector to build an ultra-modern recreation village with auditoriums for films, concerts, and special events
Again, none of these promises were executed, or they began within the first year. This raises serious concerns about whether the Creative Arts Sector is being treated with the urgency and seriousness afforded to other sectors of the economy.
Indeed, all notable successes recorded in the sector over the past year were driven largely by individual artists, their management teams, and a handful of private sector sponsors, not by deliberate government intervention.
This is particularly troubling given that key appointments have already been made. The Creative Arts Agency now has a substantive board and an Executive Secretary, yet its core mandate, especially the registration of creative enterprises, has been neglected. Instead, the agency appears preoccupied with activities far removed from its primary responsibilities.
The government also pledged to support GHAMRO, yet ironically, GHAMRO recorded one of its lowest distributions in December.
FOCAP is fully aware of the immense job-creation potential of the Creative Arts Sector and believes the President himself understands this reality. We therefore appeal directly to H.E. John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture to take a personal and serious interest in the sector in the administration’s second year.
Additionally, the much-publicised promise of a new theatre in the Ashanti Region remains unfulfilled, with reports indicating that land for the project has not even been secured.
Indeed, under the one year of John Dramani Mahama, the creative sector never experienced any of these major achievements as espoused in their manifesto. FOCAP, we believe, this did not mark a good year for the government within the creative arts sector.
The manifesto outlined some low-hanging fruit that FOCAP believed should have taken off by now
1- local content creation initiatives to drive job opportunities
2- Collection management system or copyright and royalties in Ghana.
3-“Digital content creators, especially the young, to develop content that promotes Ghanaian culture
4- Introduce tax breaks for Creative Arts Artists who have tax identification numbers (TIN).
5- Annual stakeholder dialogue with people in the creative arts industry.
6- Special events channel for the Creative Arts programs on digital terrestrial television (DTT) with pay-per-view technology to encourage content development.
7- Special rates to be given at cultural events at the Blackstar Square, Accra International Conference Centre
and other venues owned by the government.
These are some low-hanging fruits we expected the government to act on in its first year, but little or zero was done.
We hope the government will speed up through its agencies and ministries to take action on their tangible blackstar manifesto.
FOCAP, as an advocacy and pressure group, has its eagle eyes open to see and equally help grow the Orange Economy to see its full potential.
FOCAP will, as always, keep a close and watchful eye on this administration, continually reminding it of the promises made to the Creative Arts Sector. We expect measurable progress in the second year because the first year’s performance was not as expected.
Assessment of the Sector Minister’s performance will be addressed separately to avoid conflating issues.
Entertainment
Bernice Offei battled dementia for years before her death – former manager reveals
Veteran Ghanaian gospel musician Bernice Offei battled dementia for about four to five years before her death at the age of 63, her former manager, Kwasi Ernest, has revealed.
Ernest disclosed this during an interview on Max TV on Monday, September 14, 2026, while discussing the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death and her disappearance shortly before she passed away.
According to him, Offei’s condition had gradually affected her memory, orientation and ability to carry out some everyday activities.
He explained that the illness eventually became severe, leaving the musician disoriented and unable to find her way home after leaving the house.
Kwasi Ernest said Offei went missing from home at a time when her condition had deteriorated.
Her family initially conducted a private search for her, but after their efforts proved unsuccessful, they made the disappearance public and appealed to members of the public for assistance.
Offei, who had reportedly been reported missing on September 2, 2026, was later found.
Following her discovery, the gospel musician was taken to a hospital for medical assessment and treatment rather than being taken directly home.
Ernest said Offei appeared to be in relatively good condition when she was found, but her health subsequently deteriorated while she was receiving medical care.
She died on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the age of 63.
Reflecting on Offei’s life and character, Kwasi Ernest described her as a disciplined and deeply God-fearing woman whose Christian faith extended beyond her music.
He said Offei made a conscious effort to live according to the Christian principles she professed through her songs and ministry.
Bernice Offei was one of the respected names in Ghana’s gospel music industry, with songs such as “Life Is Too Short” and “Hold On” among her notable works.
Her death has since attracted tributes from fellow musicians, fans and admirers, who have remembered her for her contribution to Ghanaian gospel music.
The revelation about her long battle with dementia has also shed more light on the circumstances surrounding her disappearance in the days leading up to her death.
Entertainment
Sista Afia Opens Up About Fear of Becoming a Single Mother
Ghanaian musician Sista Afia has opened up about her fears surrounding motherhood, revealing that she is more concerned about raising a child alone than motherhood itself.
In a post shared on her X page, the singer said the increasing number of single mothers in the current generation has made her reflect deeply on the kind of family she wants to build.
Sista Afia stressed that she is not afraid of becoming a mother, but fears finding herself in a situation where she has to raise a child without the love, commitment and family structure she has always envisioned.
“Seeing how many single mothers there are in this generation honestly scares me,” she wrote.
According to her, her concern is not simply about having a child, but about becoming a “single mother” or “baby mama” without the kind of committed relationship and family she desires.
“I’m not afraid of motherhood, but I’m afraid of becoming a single mother or just a ‘baby mama’ without the love, commitment, and family I always envisioned,” she added.
The musician said her ultimate desire is to build a home and a family, rather than simply have a child.
“I want to build a home, not just have a child,” Sista Afia stated.
She admitted that the thought of ending up in such a situation frightens her deeply, highlighting the importance she places on love, commitment and family when it comes to motherhood.
“And honestly, that fear scares the hell out of me,” she concluded.
Entertainment
The Pitt Is Up for 25 Emmys — But Its Biggest Fans Are Real-Life Doctors
By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 14, 2026
Few television medical dramas have received the kind of endorsement that The Pitt has earned from the people who actually work in emergency rooms.

Noah Wyle poses in the press room during night two of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
But beyond Hollywood’s awards race, The Pitt has developed an unusually enthusiastic audience among emergency physicians and other healthcare professionals — largely because many of them say the fictional hospital looks remarkably close to the reality of their working lives.
A medical drama that feels different

Focused Medical Team in Protective Gear. Gerran Howell, left, Amielynn Abellera, Noah Wyle, Sepideh Moafi and Supriyah Ganesh in a scene from Season 2 of “The Pitt.” (Warrick Page/HBO Max)
Set in the emergency department of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, The Pitt follows doctors, nurses and patients through the pressure of a busy hospital.
Each episode covers part of a working shift, allowing the series to focus not only on dramatic medical emergencies but also on the less glamorous realities of emergency medicine: overcrowding, long waits, difficult patients, exhausted staff, limited resources and the emotional consequences of making rapid decisions.
That attention to detail has caught the attention of doctors.

Show host Mariska Hargitay poses for photographs during a press preview for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/Invision/AP)
Dr. Steven A. Valassis, an emergency physician at Hartford HealthCare St. Vincent Medical Center, described the series as a “strikingly authentic portrayal of emergency medicine”, particularly its depiction of what happens inside a busy emergency department.
Other emergency physicians have made similar observations. Harvard’s review of the programme spoke with four doctors about its accuracy, examining everything from patient volume and emergency-room culture to the notorious waiting room.
Why doctors see themselves in the show

This combination of images shows, from left to right on the top row: Macaulay Culkin, Alan Cumming, Jon Hamm, Marcello Hernández, and Dan Levy. On the bottom row, from left to right: Niecy Nash-Betts, Keke Palmer, Amy Poehler, Florence Pugh, and Zendaya. (AP Photo)
For many healthcare workers, the attraction isn’t simply the medical procedures.
It is the environment.
Real emergency departments frequently involve simultaneous emergencies, overcrowding and difficult decisions about which patient needs attention first. Doctors and nurses must balance speed with safety while dealing with patients and families who may be frightened, angry or confused.
Those pressures are central to The Pitt.
A 2026 analysis by emergency-medicine expert Jesse M. Pines noted that the series captures issues such as staffing shortages, emergency-department crowding and the practice of keeping admitted patients in emergency departments because hospital beds are unavailable.
That realism can be reassuring for medical professionals — but it can also be uncomfortable.
Some emergency workers have said the programme is so close to their professional experience that watching it after work can feel like returning for another shift. Others have recommended it to relatives as a way of helping them understand what working in emergency medicine is actually like.
The realism starts behind the cameras
The authenticity is not accidental.

The team from “Widow’s Bay” poses in the press room with the award for outstanding sound mixing for a comedy or drama series (half-hour) and animation during night two of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The production has relied on practicing medical professionals to help actors understand how emergency departments operate and how medical procedures are performed.
UCLA Health emergency physician Dr. Jacob Lentz, for example, has served as a medical consultant on the series. He and other real emergency doctors helped train members of the cast in skills including suturing, using stethoscopes, putting on sterile gloves and applying other clinical techniques.
The series also has medical expertise within its production team. Executive producer Joe Sachs is himself a practicing emergency physician, bringing first-hand knowledge of the profession into the show’s development.
The result is a production where small details matter — from how doctors move around a patient to the way staff communicate during a crisis.
Not everything is completely real
Doctors are not claiming that The Pitt is a documentary.
Television still has to tell stories, and that means compressing events, increasing drama and occasionally taking creative liberties.
But the distinction is important: medical professionals appear to value the show precisely because its departures from reality occur within a setting that otherwise feels familiar.
As Dr. Pines observed, The Pitt is still television, but many of its emergency cases and the operational pressures surrounding them resemble real-life emergency medicine far more closely than many earlier medical dramas.
From critical success to Emmy favourite
The show’s realism has been accompanied by major awards recognition.
The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series at the 2025 Emmys, while Noah Wyle won Outstanding Lead Actor for his portrayal of Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch. The series subsequently returned with an even larger Emmy presence in 2026.
This year, the series leads all Emmy nominees with 25 nominations. Wyle is again nominated for lead actor, while Katherine LaNasa, Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif and Sepideh Moafi are among the performers recognised in supporting actress categories. Patrick Ball, Gerran Howell and Shawn Hatosy are among the supporting-actor nominees.
The Television Academy’s records show that The Pitt has accumulated 38 nominations and nine Emmy wins across its two seasons.
The ultimate compliment may come from the hospital floor
For a television drama, Emmy nominations are an important measure of success.
But for The Pitt, perhaps an even more meaningful achievement is that people who actually work in emergency departments are watching it and recognising their profession.
The series does not portray emergency medicine as a succession of miraculous diagnoses and heroic saves. Instead, it shows a demanding workplace where exhaustion, uncertainty, overcrowding, teamwork and difficult human decisions are part of the job.
That may explain why the programme has connected so strongly with doctors.
Hollywood may be handing out the trophies, but some of The Pitt‘s most important critics are the doctors watching from the emergency room.
Entertainment
Choirmaster Shares Emotional Tribute One Month After Beverly’s Death
Ghanaian musician Choirmaster, real name Eugene Baah and a member of the Praye music group, has opened up about the pain of losing his late wife, actress Beverly Afaglo.
In a heartfelt Instagram post shared on September 10, 2026, Choirmaster said life has felt as though it came to a standstill since Beverly’s passing.
He said he deeply misses her voice, smile, presence and the everyday moments they shared.
Reflecting on their life together, Choirmaster admitted that he regrets not appreciating some of those moments enough while she was alive.
“It’s been a month already since you left us, and somehow the world has continued moving even though mine feels like it stopped,” he wrote.
Choirmaster also reflected on the difficult nature of grief, describing it as “love with nowhere to go.” He said the love he has for Beverly would remain with him.
He expressed gratitude for the life they shared, the memories they created and the love she gave him, adding that Beverly would continue to remain part of who he is.
He further said he would honour her memory by carrying her in his heart every day.
Entertainment
Adekunle Gold takes legal action after false report about daughter
Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold has revealed that he resorted to legal action after a man circulated false information online claiming that his family had lost their daughter, Adejare Kosoko.
The singer made the revelation during an appearance on the One 54 Podcast, where he spoke about the growing challenge of misinformation on social media.
Adekunle Gold said he has accepted that public scrutiny comes with being a celebrity and does not usually concern himself with comments or stories directed at him. However, he said his daughter is not part of that bargain and would not be dragged into false narratives.
According to him, rather than confronting the individual or taking matters into his own hands, he reported the incident to the appropriate authorities.
The matter was subsequently taken to court, where the man was sentenced to two years in prison or given the option of paying a fine, the singer said.
“Somebody had put out fake news about my family losing our daughter. I can take anything. Talking about me all day, I’m cool. I signed up for this, not my daughter,” Adekunle Gold said.
He explained that he deliberately followed the legal process instead of seeking personal revenge.
“I did the right thing, reported it to the authorities, and then they took it to court. The court sentenced him to, I think, two years’ imprisonment or he should pay a fine,” he added.
Adekunle Gold said the incident generated significant reactions online, with many people discussing the court action and the false report.
He stressed that he could have chosen to personally confront the man but decided against such an approach.
“I followed the right channels. I didn’t even do what other people would do, you know, find the boy, beat him up and all of that. I didn’t do all of that. I just went to the right channels, and it was dealt with,” he said.
The musician also expressed concern about the volume of unverified information circulating online, saying social media users can sometimes encounter stories about themselves that leave them questioning whether the events actually happened.
He called for some form of regulation to address the spread of false information on social media.
“It’s crazy what’s happening on social media now. Sometimes you see news about yourself, and even you will be wondering, like, ‘Oh, did this happen?’” he said.
Adekunle Gold added that the amount of misleading information being circulated online makes some form of regulation necessary.
Source:NiajaNews.com
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