Prophet Ogyaba recounts how he shot his first film with ‘galamsey-money', opted for McBrown's support

The General Overseer of Holiness of Christ Zion Ministry, Emmanuel Akwasi Boakye, known as Prophet Ogyaba, has shared his journey into filmmaking, detailing his transition from small-scale mining to the screens.

Prior to dedicating himself to full-time ministry, Prophet Ogyaba dabbled in various enterprises, including acting and 'galamsey', the local term for small-scale mining.

He recounted that it was the profits from 'galamsey' that enabled him to consider bringing a compelling story to life through film.

His encounter with the acclaimed Ghanaian actress Nana Ama McBrown, was the catalyst that turned his movie aspirations into a tangible project, further nurturing his acting abilities.

During a conversation with Fiifi Pratt on KingdomFM, Prophet Ogyaba expressed his gratitude towards McBrown, who embraced his project with enthusiasm, taking on the roles of scriptwriter and director with zeal.

"I remember discussing my film intentions with Nana Ama McBrown. I was confident about producing the film, especially since I had substantial funds from my 'galamsey' activities. McBrown was immediately on board. She presented a script on our next meeting and took charge of the direction. The film was titled 'Osofo aware'," he recalled.

Prophet Ogyaba also mentioned the delay caused by Apostle John Pra's unavailability for his role, which led McBrown suggesting that he should step in.

Despite Prophet Ogyaba's initial inexperience in acting, McBrown's encouragement led to a successful performance, marking his debut in the acting industry.

“We waited and waited for Apostle John Pra to take up his role but he was delaying. So McBrown asked if I could fit in his role, she said I was already a pastor so it would make the acting even easier. At that time I knew nothing about acting but she convinced me to do it. Everything turned out really good and I became a pro," he recounted.

When asked if he is still involved in 'galamsey', he stated, "I ceased 'galamsey' activities the same day the practice was officially halted."

He elaborated, "The method we employed for 'galamsey' did not harm water bodies. We operated by drilling in a manner similar to borehole excavation and descended to extract minerals. After completion, we responsibly refilled the excavated area with sand."



EB