Former Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku-Mantey, has advised government to steer clear of investing in individual museums dedicated to celebrities, warning that such actions could spark political controversy and unnecessary public expenditure.
Speaking in an interview with Hitz FM on August 4, 2025, Okraku-Mantey noted that while celebrating cultural icons is important, government involvement in creating personalized museums could create political tension and invite criticism from the public and other stakeholders within the entertainment industry.
“Governments should not even show any interest in any museum of any celebrity at all. Let me tell you why. People will say ‘Yes, they did it for Lumba and did not do it for Dada KD’,” he explained.
He continued:
“A government can become unpopular out of this by just taking steps to do it for one person and not do it for another. It can bring problems. Very soon somebody will say ‘why did you do this for Lumba and you didn’t do it for that person?’”
Rather than direct investment, Okraku-Mantey believes the government should create an enabling environment that allows private individuals or institutions to spearhead such projects. He suggested that the state could support these ventures by offering land or streamlining bureaucratic processes.
“So government can create the enabling environment and the land be offered—as for the land, it is for everybody. Charterhouse, whoever, you can come and when you come government will create the enabling environment,” he added.
This approach, he said, not only avoids favoritism but also promotes sustainability and innovation from within the creative arts sector itself.
Citing the recent Daddy Lumba candlelight vigil, Okraku-Mantey highlighted how the government successfully partnered with the private sector to honor the legendary musician without taking full control of the event.
“Like the candlelight vigil, government created the enabling environment, that is why the Daddy Lumba team and the private sector got involved,” he explained.
According to him, such collaborations are more effective and politically neutral.
Okraku-Mantey also raised concerns about the government’s capacity to sustain and maintain cultural infrastructure, suggesting that the private sector is better equipped for such long-term responsibilities.
“They are the ones who can maintain these infrastructure. The government’s infrastructure itself are struggling,” he remarked, hinting at the challenges already facing existing public facilities.
The call by Mark Okraku-Mantey comes at a time when public discourse around the recognition of legendary Ghanaian musicians like Daddy Lumba has intensified, particularly following state participation in recent celebratory events. While acknowledging the need to honor cultural pioneers, Okraku-Mantey maintains that a balanced, inclusive, and sustainable approach—led by the private sector and enabled by the government—is the best path forward.
