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FOCAP Maintains Zero Rating for NDC Government Over Creative Arts Sector Performance
The President of the Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP), Kojo Preko Dankwa, has maintained the organisation’s zero rating of the government’s performance in the creative arts sector, insisting that little has changed since its first-year assessment.
According to Kojo Preko Dankwa, FOCAP initially scored the government zero during its first-year review after assessing the promises and commitments made to the creative arts industry.
Speaking on JoyPrime, he said the organisation had conducted a fresh assessment six months after its initial review and had reached the same conclusion.
“We scored the NDC government zero. And six months down the lane, it is still zero,” he said.
He explained that FOCAP’s assessment was not based on routine administrative activities such as meetings, official travels, conferences, visits or the signing of documents.
Rather, the organisation was interested in measuring the government against the specific commitments it made to Ghanaians before assuming office.
“We’re not looking at the normal procedural ministry work when you get there to do. I mean, we know there are meetings, we know there are travels to do conferences, we know you need to do one or two visits to certain places, sign papers and all that,” he explained.
“We’re looking at why you are in government, why we voted for you. We voted for you based on some things you told us that we’re convinced of,” he added.
Kojo Preko Dankwa questioned whether the government’s efforts to promote Ghana’s creative industry had produced visible results.
He said the sector needed interventions that would have a direct and noticeable impact on creative professionals and the wider industry.
He cited the promotion of Ghana and the use of content creators as areas where FOCAP expected to see measurable outcomes.
“There is a deliberate attempt to see you promote Ghana. That is the impact we’re looking for. Have we seen it? Have we seen you do anything beyond that? No, it is zero,” he said.
He also questioned the pace at which some relatively straightforward policy interventions were being implemented.
According to him, issues such as reducing rates charged by event centres should not take years to address.
“Ordinary things like cutting rates for event centres. What would take you ten years? One year, nine months to do that? No, it is not,” he argued.
The FOCAP President also addressed the government’s establishment of a board for the Creative Arts Agency, which was cited as one of the developments under the administration.
He acknowledged that the board had been constituted but argued that the move should not be considered a major achievement because it was already required by law.
“For the first time, we have a board for the Creative Arts Agency,” the interviewer noted.
Kojo Preko Dankwa responded that the establishment of the board was simply the implementation of an existing legal requirement.
He explained that the relevant legislation already provided for the existence of a board and that the failure to constitute one under the previous administration was a defect that needed to be corrected.
“It was a defect that we saw. And they fixed it. Because in the Act, it’s supposed to be done,” he said.
However, he maintained that implementing what was already required by law did not, in FOCAP’s view, amount to a significant new intervention that should substantially change the organisation’s assessment.
“The Act, which was done, was not done even when they were in power. It is stating that you need to have a board. So, coming into, I mean, put it into action, you’ve not done anything,” he stated.
When challenged that some work had been done through the establishment of the board, Kojo Preko Dankwa remained firm.
“No, there’s no work done there,” he insisted.
FOCAP’s position therefore remains that the government has yet to demonstrate sufficient progress on the substantive promises and interventions that motivated creative industry stakeholders to support its election, resulting in the organisation maintaining its zero score for the government’s performance in the sector.
