“Let us be citizens, not spectators.” This is a line from the presidential acceptance speech by President Akuffo Addo when he was first sworn in as President-elect on the 7th of January, 2017. While the entire speech generated a lot of conversation, this line has stood the test of time. Over the last four years, Ghanaians have experienced one challenge or the other. Everyone in every sector is crying out for a better situation. Students, medical personnel, national service personnel, market women, the youth, parents, and on. Every month comes with a different group of people coming out to ask for better from the government.
Surprisingly, whenever an industry is facing these challenges, people within that industry join forces to canvass support. In February this year, sports journalists, among many others in the football space, embarked on a demonstration seeking government intervention to make Ghana football great again. Just like footballers, we have seen all the above-mentioned sectors take action either through protests, strikes, or simply petitioning the government to do better.
However, a group of people who barely lend their voice and time and commit to holding the government accountable or throwing in their support are celebrities in the creative space. One would have to go as far back as 2015, almost a decade ago, to witness the last time the creative industry in Ghana collectively joined their voices, resources, and influence to push for change. That last time was the Dumsor Must Stop protest. That period saw creatives and celebrities consistently and in unison push the government for the better. From posts on social media, content, songs, and other means available to them, they were loud. To top it off, a large demonstration was held, which saw hundreds join in.
In recent times, only a handful of creatives and celebrities have come forward to lend their voices, platforms, resources, and influence in pushing for better from the government. A year ago, when the first Occupy Julorbi protest was held last year, some creatives did come on board to support and add their voice to the course. While some were performative, they did help draw attention to the course. However, when something is performative, the performance always comes to an end. That is what we have been witnessing these last few days as some creatives and celebrities sit down in silence and watch on as everyone else is pushing for better during this year’s protests.
Currently, about 39 protestors have been remanded into custody by the court in Accra over the demonstration by the pressure group, Democracy Hub and concerned citizens. The demonstration, which started on the 21st of September 2024, is a call by citizens to the government to help Stop Galamsey (illegal mining), which is destroying water bodies in the country.
Creatives and celebrities are not immune to a bad system. They are citizens first before anything else. They are celebrities because a group of people celebrate them. If these people are not present to celebrate them, they seize to celebrities. What is the use of your art when there is no one present to consume it? This is a question each creative must ask themselves anytime they see consumers embarking on causes like this. While celebrities have influence, they only have so because the people allow it. The true source of power lies in the hands of the consumer and follower. So it becomes strange when these creatives and celebrities sit in silence as the consumers lend their voice and use all available platforms to seek better living conditions. Bear in mind that these living conditions affect not only the consumers but the creatives and celebrities as well. In a recent series of tweets, American celebrity Michael Blackson has called out the finance ministry for ruining his investments. That should paint a clearer picture of how a bad government affects everybody.
Their silence should not be shocking. A quick research will reveal how a significant number of creatives have always sat in silence as the creative space, which is their source of livelihood, keeps deteriorating because the government and its institutions are not making the right decisions and putting up the right structures. Case in point, they have barely rallied together to push for proper structures that protect their intellectual properties, failed to push for structures in royalty collection, and even recently, when the Government banned them from being ambassadors for alcoholic brands under the FDA Guideline 3.2.10 which states that “No well- known personality or professional shall be used in alcoholic beverage advertising”, only a handful joined the fight against the bill.
More often than not, you get to see a handful of them pass a comment asking for government interventions during their press runs or when they start feeling the effects of their silence. However, they do not have to wait till it affects them directly before they speak up or take a stand. Because when the consequences start falling, they will feel the effects both as citizens and creatives. It is even more annoying to see these celebrities fail to even have the decency to read the room.
In a recent situation when Nigerians were embarking on protest, we saw creatives and celebrities not only add their voice but also go a step further to halt/postpone their releases to allow their fans to exercise their rights. Only a handful of the creatives in Ghana have shown that they know how to read the room. Even in the thick of the moment when people are protesting, they turn a blind eye but will still seek support for a song/project they are dropping or tickets for an event they are hosting or performing at. How selfish can you be? Do you need more social awareness to understand the situation at hand? Sometimes you do not even have to be on the ground with protestors. Just lending your voice to the course through a tweet or comment can go a long way to shining more light on the situation. If you are a creative or celebrity, analyze the quote and ask yourself, Are you a citizen or a spectator? At what point do you realize that you stand to lose a lot more when you stay silent in times like these?
To consumers fighting for a better Ghana, understand that you can make and unmake these creatives. Stand firm and remember those who stood beside you and those who stood against you. If they can lobby for your votes to win awards and plead with you to stream their works, purchase tickets for their events, and buy their merchandise, you should know how much power you also have. If these creatives decide to remain quiet or neutral, you can decide, at your discretion on how patronise them in the future. Ultimately, however, let us continue to demand a better Ghana from the leaders.
Written by Nana Kojo Mula.
