Veteran Ghanaian filmmaker and outspoken member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Socrate Safo, has voiced his disappointment over what he describes as the party’s persistent disregard for creative professionals.
In an emotional interview on Okay FM with Halifax Ansah-Addo, Safo admitted to envying the way the National Democratic Congress (NDC) nurtures and elevates talents in the creative industry.
“I jealous them. Let me confess. I jealous them,” Safo stated. “I feel that the NDC is respecting the mental fortitude of the creatives. They are listening and they have not stopped.”
Safo, a former Director for Creative Arts at the National Commission on Culture, drew a sharp contrast between how the two major political parties treat creatives.
He referenced figures like Rex Omar, KOD, and Abeiku Santana—prominent personalities who thrived under the NDC government, while lamenting the lack of recognition for their NPP counterparts.
According to him, many talented individuals in the NPP were overlooked for appointments simply because they didn’t possess academic degrees. “You go and they look in a condescending manner, thinking they are better than you. We had the creatives who could do excellent jobs, but they were overlooked just because they claimed they didn’t have degrees,” he said.
His comments followed the appointment of veteran actress Kalsoume Sinare as Ghana’s Ambassador to Spain by former President John Mahama, a move he described as commendable and emblematic of the NDC’s appreciation of the arts.
Safo emphasized that while the NDC integrates arts and culture into national governance, the NPP has often sidelined such voices, missing a critical opportunity to tap into the creativity and influence of cultural players.
He urged the NPP to take a cue from the NDC’s playbook by embracing and empowering creatives if the party hopes to leverage the full potential of Ghana’s arts and entertainment sector.
