‘If We Don’t Talk About It, Nothing Will Change’ – Kojo Preko Dankwah

President of the Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP), Kojo Preko Dankwa has maintained that although he believes the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has performed poorly in the creative arts sector after 18 months in office, he remains optimistic that the industry can still experience positive change before the end of the government’s four-year mandate.

Speaking on Peace FM’s Entertainment Review, hosted by Ola Michael, Kojo Preko Dankwah and filmmaker Socrate Safo shared differing opinions on the government’s performance in the creative industry since assuming office.

Kojo Preko Dankwah argued that the NDC government has failed woefully in addressing the concerns of stakeholders in the creative arts sector over the past 18 months. However, Socrate Safo disagreed, insisting that 18 months is too short a period to fairly judge the government’s overall performance, adding that the administration should be given more time to implement its plans.

During the discussion, host Ola Michael asked Kojo Preko Dankwah whether he still saw “light at the end of the tunnel” despite his criticism of the government’s performance.

Responding to the question, Kojo Preko Dankwah said he remained hopeful.

“Yes, there is. The reason I’m saying there is hope is because the government hasn’t exhausted its mandate. It hasn’t been just a few months or only a year; it still has a four-year mandate. I believe there is hope for us.”

He stressed that constructive criticism is necessary if improvements are to be made within the sector.

“The reason there is hope is because if we continue to talk about these issues, there will be a way to straighten things out,” he stated.

Kojo Preko Dankwah further noted that his criticism was not intended to suggest that the government had failed across all sectors. He acknowledged that some ministries have delivered commendable performances within the same period, demonstrating that progress is possible when the right measures are implemented.

According to him, the creative arts sector deserves the same level of attention and commitment being witnessed in some other sectors of government.