Bullgod attacks Socrate Safo; United Showbiz panelists shocked

Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, popularly known as Bullgod criticized Socrate Safo, the filmmaker who also serves as the Director for Creative Arts at the National Commission on Culture, for his defense of the Akufo-Addo government's achievements in the arts and entertainment industry, referring to him as a fool.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP), which received significant support from the creative community, contributing to their victory in the presidential elections, had made several promises in the lead-up to the 2020 elections. These promises included the completion of the theatre in Kumasi and the construction of new theatres in Takoradi and Tamale.

Despite their victory in the elections, these promises remain unfulfilled.

In April 2023, Mark Okraku-Mantey, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, broke ground for the construction of an ultra-modern open-air amphitheater at the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi. This event followed the government's pledge to build a total of five amphitheaters, including two in Accra, one in Kumasi, one in Takoradi, and one in Tamale.

While the Kumasi amphitheater was originally slated for completion by July 2023, the project, like several others, remains unfinished.

On September 30, 2023, during an appearance on United Showbiz hosted by MzGee and monitored by GhanaWeb, Socrate Safo stated that the government was committed to fulfilling its promises. He provided video evidence, showing the foundations of the structures being laid with artisans on-site.

Socrate Safo argued that the “NPP’s challenge is communication”, establishing that the party and the government have done a lot but have failed to publicise their achievements.

“We are working but we’ve kept most of the information away from the public,” he said. “We have failed to publicise our achievements so some people are unaware of projects being done and so they get angry. People in the arts get angry because we’ve not shown them what we’re doing for the industry so they feel we’ve done nothing.”

“Now, you’re seeing something and with time, we’ll take our time and give you evidence of projects we’ve done across the country. We’ve done quite a number of things,” Socrate Safo added.

He praised the government's 'December in GH' program, contending that it has become a source of income for creatives, a situation he argued was not the case a decade ago.

“If for nothing at all, we know that Bullgod’s artiste Vanilla, come December, based on a manifesto promise by the NPP, tourists throng the country. The numbers are unprecedented. We have December in GH programmes,” he said.

“We started with 94 events for the maiden edition, last year we did 115, this year, so far, we’ve got over 260 programmes come December. Artistes will get jobs to do. It took a visionary government to come out with programmes like this.

“You’ll be playing shows back-to-back in the country unless you’re a lazy manager but knowing Bullgod who is a good manager, Bullgod will make money because NPP has come out with something creative,” Socrate Safo added.

The remarks were in bad taste for Bullgod who responded with rage, describing the staunch NPP member as a fool.

“Socrate, you’re a fool,” Bullgod fumed to the surprise of other panelists. “Do you know why you’re a fool? The political party that you serve, the leader of that political party has conceded; he’s given up. And you’re here defending what? Chale!”

"The biggest problem we have in this country is that NPP packaged lies and we bought it."

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