King Paluta (L) and Mark Okraku-Mantey (R)
Ghanaian musician King Paluta has expressed disappointment in Mark Okraku-Mantey, the former Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, for labelling his song “Makoma” as profane.
Earlier in a discussion on Peace FM’s Entertainment Review show, Mark Okraku-Mantey, shared his thoughts on the song: “Do you know that the song we were playing, ‘Sisifia,’ is profane? It is profane. This party has people like me, George Quaye—those of us in the music industry. Take me as an example; nobody will consult you on music. Then we take a profane song for someone like Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, look at his brand, then we, as a party, ask Dr. Bawumia to dance to it.
“He (Paluta) used a profane word and media houses play that song. I have defended King Paluta’s ‘Aseda’ before, but this other one (Makoma) is profane,” Okraku Mantey stated.
However, during a discussion on Pulse Ghana on March 24, 2025, King Paluta has refuted the claim and labelled it nonsensical.
He explained that the song does not contain any negative comments, and therefore, the former deputy minister’s statement was unfounded.
“I think I saw a video where the senior man (Mark Okraku-Mantey) said that ‘Makoma’ is profane just because I said, ‘hw3 p3 a map3 bi a manya.’ Let me break it down for you: If you’ve been looking for an item that is rare on the market and finally find it, you normally say, ‘Look at what I’ve been looking for, for so long,” he said.
King Paluta also urged Mark Okraku-Mantey and other industry stakeholders to stop negatively criticising young, talented musicians.
He pointed out that such comments usually demotivate artistes and hinder their progress.
“We came to hustle, so you people should allow us to hustle. What you’re doing makes it seem like you want us to go back to the streets. What you’re doing won’t help us,” he added.
Watch the video below:
You can also watch videos from the unveiling of the 2025 TGMA nominees on GhanaWeb TV below:
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