No Deputy? Socrate Safo to head another vital sector of Tourism, Arts & Culture Ministry

With time, the chips are gradually falling in place with the appointment and announcement of who occupies what position in President Akufo-Addo’s government.

This portal, www.entertainmentgh.com has got word from sources close to the Presidency that, Socrate Safo, the legendary film maker, is likely to head one of the most critical sectors under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

He was heavily touted as one of the persons to assume the role of the Deputy Minister but, the President is said to be moving the film maker to head a sector that would see him work directly with the Ministers to project and market Ghana’s culture and creative arts.

The sources claim, that, Socrate, who was tipped by Executives of the party to take up the role of Deputy Minister, had to be looked over, because of the President’s mandate to appoint 40% of his Ministers from the house of parliament.

The President is said to be particularly interested in the projection and marketing of our tourism, culture and the elevation of the arts; and with the Ghana Tourism Authority and Ghana Tourist Development Company already assigned to Akwasi Agyemang and Kwadwo Antwi respectively, Socrate is likely to oversee the National Commission on Culture – the sources say.

The National Commission on Culture is headed by a Board with a regulatory, supervisory and collaborative responsibility over a number of institutions to ensure the promotion of culture in the national life of the people. The institutions are: The Regional and District Centers for National Culture, The National Theatre of Ghana, The National Dance Company, The National Drama Company, The National Symphony Orchestra, The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, The Copyright Office, The National Folklore Board, The W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Pan African Writers Association (Headquarters) and Bureau of Ghana Languages.

The National Commission on Culture also maintains a frontline directorate under the following headings at the Commission’s Secretariat; Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Department,Finance and Administration Department, Intersectorial and International Relations Department,Arts Department,Research, Education and Information Department.