Plug loopholes to save public resources — Rev. Awotwi-Pratt

The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Most Rev Titus Awotwi-Pratt, has called on the government and state institutions to plug all loopholes through which people siphon state resources.

“There are some individuals who think they are so crafty and always devise strategies to take public resources for themselves. They behave like the popular Ananse in Ghanaian folklore, who has always been a crafty and cunning character that would stop at nothing to cheat the system. In Ghana, we have seen clear cases of people who think they are wiser than the systems and laws of the land,” he indicated.

The Presiding Bishop stressed that it was necessary to devise effective monitoring and evaluation systems that would ensure that all such losses to the state were prevented. 

Rev. Awotwi-Pratt made that call at an event in Accra last Friday to celebrate Professor Martin Owusu, the first recipient of the Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah African Genius Awards. 

Awards

The African Genius Awards is a biennial platform to celebrate African geniuses for their contribution to the development of the country in the areas of arts and culture, governance, science, technology, innovation, medicine and architecture.

The awards are meant to immortalise the memory of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who worked to project the African identity.

The awards were in three categories. Life Time Achievement, Young Icons, and Diaspora Impact.

Collaboration

A Supreme Court Judge, Justice Sophia Akuffo, called for the revamping of the arts and creative industry.

“Creative arts, entertainment and drama bring out certain political, social, cultural and economic challenges in the country and prescribe solutions to those issues. Not only does the creative industry, especially drama, encourage teamwork and co-operation,it also helps to unite the society,” she indicated.

Justice Akuffo stressed the need for stakeholders in the creative industry to effectively collaborate to removed all barriers that militate against the growth of the sector.

Recipient

Prof. Martin Owusu became the first recipient of the Life Time Award for his contribution to the creative industry as a playwright, dramatist and epitome of Ghanaian cultural heritage.

 In acknowledgement of the honour done him, Prof. Owusu encouraged young and upcoming players in the creative industry to be innovative and take advantage of the advancement in technology to project the sector.

 He bemoaned the activities of pirates that had denied the industry the needed revenue and called for measures to stem the tide.

Many a speaker paid glowing tribute to Prof. Owusu for the part he had played in the sustenance of Ghanaian cultural values and the impact of his work on the lives of the people.