The entertainment industry has intelligent minds for leadership ventures - Juliet Asante

Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante, Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority, has voiced her support for the involvement of creatives in politics and governance.

Despite some criticism towards creative individuals seeking political positions, Asante believes that the entertainment industry has some of the brightest and most talented individuals, who could excel in leadership positions.

Yaa Asante in a myjoyonline.com report expressed her disappointment in the country's inability to tap into the intelligence of those in the entertainment industry.

“It takes so much to be in this space; creatively, to be able to go into yourself and bring out something that is non-existent before you brought it out. To be able to live your own life and all that,” she said.

She shared her own experience of being insulted for returning to filmmaking after furthering her education abroad, due to the negative perception that entertainment individuals are not intelligent.

“There is that presumption (wrongly) that people in the [entertainment] space are not intelligent, which is sad.

“I remember when I came back into the system after stepping away briefly, someone told me something must be wrong with me for returning to the film industry after furthering my education outside the country,” Juliet narrated.

The actress's comments were made in response to Ghanaian actors John Dumelo and Fred Nuamah, as well as music and media entrepreneur Baba Sadiq, announcing their intention to contest in the National Democratic Congress parliamentary primaries.

Other creatives, including Ablah Dzifa Gomashie, Fritz Baffour, Bice Osei Kuffour, and Mark Okraku Mantey, have also held government positions in Ghana.

Yaa Asante believes that the entertainment industry has many brilliant individuals who could make significant contributions to politics and governance, but that negative stereotypes and biases continue to hinder their progress.

She called for a change in perception towards creatives, to allow for their full potential to be realized in all areas of society.

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