Former Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mark Okraku-Mantey, has called out what he describes as silence over a delayed fashion show promised by the Mahama-led administration.
It would be recalled that in May 2025, during the launch of the Black Star Experience, President John Dramani Mahama announced that the Ghana Fashion Week would take place in July, adding that he would even grace the catwalk during the event.
However, in an interview with Hitz FM on August 4, 2025, Okraku-Mantey recalled the President’s promise.
He criticised what he described as a relative silence following the missed deadline, highlighting what he believes is a favouritism for the current government.
“We were promised a fashion show in July by President Mahama, and he was going to walk the catwalk himself. July is past, and we are in August. Nobody is talking.
“If Mark Okraku-Mantey were to be in office, there would be noise everywhere. But Okraku-Mantey is not in office, everything is fine. But it’s not Mark Okraku‑Mantey who’s in office, so everything is fine,” he bemoaned.
On the topic of the candlelight vigil held in honour of highlife legend Daddy Lumba, Okraku-Mantey asked, “Did people come from other parts of the country to join? And what was that in tourism? It is funeral tourism.”
The concept of funeral tourism was first popularised by Okraku-Mantey in 2021 and later featured in national discussions as a way to drive tourism growth in Ashanti and other regions.
The idea aimed to take advantage of the cultural practice of hosting large attendance funerals, which can draw thousands of mourners and boost the economy of the area.
However, the concept was lambasted by many stakeholders.
ID/EB
