Ghanaian broadcaster based in the United Kingdom, Austine Woode, has expressed his dissatisfaction at some of the answers given by Abla Dzifa Gomashie during her vetting on Wednesday 22nd January, 2025.

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts who appeared before the Appointments Committee was asked varied questions bordering on culture, arts and tourism.

Austine Woode who claims was not impressed with most her answers, told Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z that he was surprised about how she answered the question on the Creative Arts Fund. 

“Her answers was shocking and I was left shocked and asked myself who we had nominated as a minister for our sector and if indeed she appreciates the issues in our sector. 

And you see timelines in this discussion is very important. The person we are talking about, aside being a deputy minister for this same ministry from 2013 to 2017, was also a member of parliament from 2021 to 2025, and she is a member of that committee in parliament which is one thing I would like to avert our minds to. It is like Ablakwa being a ranking member on foreign affairs and asked about something and doesn’t have any idea about it. Or Akandoh is asked about Agenda 111 and being the ranking member on health, he is all over the place. It was shocking for me," he said.

Making reference to the 1% levy stipulated in the Creative Arts Industry Act, he said he was surprised the Minister failed to mention it while responding to how the Creative Arts Fund would be funded.

"The things that Robert read, who should know it best. Is it a former Deputy Minister who became an MP and on that committee or Robert Klah? Who should know it best? It should be our Minister. So I was shocked at that." he added.

The former Luv FM presenter indicated that a lot of the questions the Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin was giving her, were leading questions.

"Even the Minority Leader had done background work and search in our ministry that our minister designate. It was terrible showing on that particular question. What did she mean by 'we will ask the banks on how they are able to do it?' Really?" he asked.

During the vetting, when asked about how she would sustain the Creative Arts Fund as promised in the NDC manifesto, Abla Dzifa Gomashie replied: “From the experience of the NDC when we were in government, we had a fund for the sector. I think that to sustain it, domains would have to access the fund and make it a revolving one so whatever you want to champion with the fund that you access, you should be able to make it have a turn over that is returned for other people to come and also benefit from it.”

She noted that she would pick lessons from the banking sector on how they are able to recover loans they lend to people.

In the meantime, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abla Dzifa Gomashie has promised to pay critical attention to the pressing needs of the agency.

“The Creative Arts Agency that has been formed, my understanding before we left office was that it was a multi-purpose vehicle, not an agency. But I see that now it is an agency.

When I have the nod, I will take a critical look at the agency and its functions, and see how best to make it work with the National Commission on Culture, and of course, the ministry as a whole,” Dzifa said.