Music producer Mark Okraku Mantey has defended his decision to form a group of creative arts stakeholders to campaign for Nana Akufo Addo to become president of Ghana on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). “Look, Nana Addo is the only presidential candidate with a clear policy statement on the creative arts and this shows a genuine commitment to the success, advancement and progress of our industry. “This clear understanding and policy statement for the creative arts sector is different from what the others are saying by word of mouth they would do for the sector. Nana Addo’s proposals are convincing and shows clearly the man understands our creative sector and this has remained our greatest motivation in campaigning for him,” Okraku Mantey explained when he was asked why he was campaigning for Nana Addo on Talk Showbiz, last Tuesday on E-TV Ghana. A couple of weeks ago, Okraku Mantey brought together several persons from the creative arts sector under an umbrella group known as Creative Arts for Change. The group, comprising movie producers, actors, sound engineers, script writers, musicians and other industry players, has since embarked on a door-to-door campaign for the presidential candidature of Nana Akufo Addo. “We actually go from door to door telling people why they should vote for Nana Addo. I am a father. I pay fees and I am also in school paying fees. We all know how expensive it is to pay fees so when you have a credible candidate from a credible party whose flagship message is to made basic education free and even extend the definition of basic education to the Senior High School (SHS) level, why won’t we campaign for him. “We had hoped Nana Addo had won the 2008 presidential elections because the New Patriotic Party had very good plans for the creative arts industry. In 2008, I campaigned for Nana Addo on the quiet. I moved round the regions on a door-to-door campaign. He did not even know me by then. The first time he saw me was in 2009 and he did not even know me. But I still campaigned for him and continue to do same anyway,” Okraku Mantey noted. Celebrated names who are members of Creative Arts for Change include hi-life musician Kwabena Kwabena; movie producer and Public Relations Officer of the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) Socrate Sarfo; music producer Mark Okraku Mantey, Fredyma, a sound engineer and music producer; actresses Vivian Jill Lawrence, Mercy Asiedu, and Auntie B. of ‘Efiewura’ fame; actor Bill Asamoah; musicians C-Zar and Naa Agyeman and many others. Interestingly, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has also enjoyed the support of several big names in showbiz including actors and musicians. Showbiz names that have openly endorsed the candidature of the NDC candidate, President John Mahama, include actress Selassie Ibrahim, actress Kalsoume Ibrahim, Rex Omar, Amandzeba Nat Brew, Lucky Mensah, Jewel Ackah, Abeiku Santana, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah and Wofa K.