President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has promised to promote local authorship as one of government’s many measures to boost the creative industry.
He lamented the proliferation of foreign literature on the culture of Ghana, a development he blamed on the absence of a deliberate plan to empower local writers to tell the country’s story.
“What define a country are his arts, culture, customs and tradition [and] without acknowledging them we stand unable to face the rest of the world,” the President noted.
“We intend to support the book industry and promote local authorship.”
Some of Ghana’s finest composers, painters, filmmakers, writers, musicians, sculptures, actors and actresses are living a life of hardship and poverty.
They blame it on the non-patronage of their products by Ghanaians as well as the unauthorised use of their works for their predicaments. Some of them die without having a house to their names, a development that has demotivated young artists.
But the President who has described himself as a lover of creative arts said the artists are undeserving of a pitiful life considering their immense contribution to the country.
“In other parts of the world, creative artists are not just able to make a comfortable living on their works, but they are among the highest earners,” he drew a comparison.
He believes Ghana’s creative artists deserve the same treatment. “It is time we create the enabling atmosphere for our artists to enjoy the fruit of their creative enterprise.”
President Akufo-Addo it is to this end that his government is putting in place measures to promote the literary arts by “encouraging our writers and publishers to produce books that portray our rich culture.”
He entreated Ghanaians to desist from piracy activities that are robbing the creative artists of benefits due them.
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