The creative sector has much to offer if given the needed attention – Ebo Whyte

Renowned playwright, James Ebo Whyte, popularly known as Uncle Ebo Whyte, has requisitioned for the government to not abandon the creative industry.

On a Roundtable discussion on Joy TV’s Entertainment Showbiz on Saturday, he stated that the creative sector has a lot to offer the economy if it is offered the needed support to boost and revive its art.

In his submissions on the show, he said that should the creative industry be given maximum attention and lift as the other institutions no sector can compete with it.

“We are not interested in growing anything in this country, but I can tell anyone who cares to listen that nothing will compare to the creative industry if we are given the right attention. Nothing, no sector, not cocoa, not gold, not oil, nothing,” he said.

Also speaking to the current development of the country, the playwright in comparison said Ghana’s economy is been run like a teenager.

“We are not neat, teenagers will not clean their rooms. We think we know, so we are too known, we are lazy we would rather sleep and have fun than anything else. We do not want to do the work of the mind and that is Ghana for you,” he said.

Uncle Ebo Whyte noted that although the country is past 60 years, its civilization to other countries in comparison, Ghana is still young and needs to double up the pace to build a face-front nation.

This he explains as being evident in the governance of the country.

“When you compare it with a 5000-year-old civilization when you compare Ghana with some of those countries then Ghana in nation terms, is a teenager and we exhibit all the characteristics of teenagers”.

The playwright further referenced the English Premier League and its partnerships that have come together to monetize the league.

According to him, Ghana’s creative sector could take a step in that stead.

“Even if we take the EPL, the EPL has become a cash cow only in the last few years. It was not that way. Some people got in there and decided we can make something out of that and I believe it is time we do the same for Ghana,” he stated.

However, the playwright is not hoped high that any Ghanaian government could make that happen.

This, he said is because the country has been cursed with leaders who only care about amassing wealth and not the country.

“We have not been blessed with leaders who care about Ghana. We have been cursed with leaders who look at their pockets first. What am I going to get out of this, and so even if we give them all the data it will not mean anything to them,”

However, he believes Ghana is rich in pure talents, and tapping into this space, channeling maximum attention and much investment to support the creative industry will definitely be a great run Ghana’s economy.