Mark Okraku-Mantey | |
---|---|
Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts | |
Assumed office 7 January 2021 | |
President | Nana Akufo-Addo |
Preceded by | Ziblim Barri Iddi |
Personal details | |
Born | Nsawam,Eastern Region | 25 January 1974
Nationality | Ghanaian |
Political party | New Patriotic Party |
Alma mater | Central University |
Occupation | Music Producer,Artiste Manager,Politician |
Profession | Music Producer,Entertainment Administrator |
Mark Okraku-Mantey (born 25 January 1974) is a Ghanaian music producer and politician. He is currently the Deputy Minister of Tourism,Culture and Creative Arts.
He is the founder and chief executive officer of Slip Mark Entertainment. Mark Okraku-Mantey has worked with several Ghanaian musicians including Lord Kenya,Kumi Guitar,Oheneba Kissi,Daasebre Gyamenah,Akyeame,and Adane Best.
Okraku-Mantey started out as a disc jockey in the 1990's at Joy FM till he rose to the position of Programs Director for Hitz FM both under the Multimedia Group Limited.
Okraku Mantey is a native of Ayensuano. [1] He attended Datus Complex School (Bubuashie) for his basic school education and proceeded to St. Augustine's College in the Central region for his secondary school education. During his time at St. Augustine's,he was the first student to be allowed to play as official Disc Jockey for school. [2] He holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and an executive master’s degree in Leadership and Governance,both from Central University.
Okraku-Mantey started his career as a Disc Jockey in 1996 on Joy FM. He subsequently became a producer whilst helping some Ghanaian artistes produce their music for airplay. In 1996,he started an entertainment and music company dubbed Slip Music and Entertainment (now Slip Mark Entertainment) to produce music and manage artistes. [3] [4] [5]
In 1998,Okraku-Mantey through Slip Music signed Lord Kenya,a then upcoming Hiplife artiste. [6] He managed Kenya and produced most of his songs and albums including his hit album Sika Baa. He also worked with Highlife artiste Oheneba Kissi on his ABC of Love song and Dassebre Gyamena on Kokoko which featured Lord Kenya. Both songs were big hits and sold over 400,000 copies. [7] [2]
Okraku-Mantey has also worked with include Akyeame,Adane Best,Joe Frazier,Kumi Guitar, [8] Felix Bell among others. [7] [4] Some albums that he produced include Nana Tuffour’s –‘Tontonte’,Kojo Ashkan’s –‘Me Nse Ato Biso’,Felix Bell’s –‘Butterfly’,Oheneba Kissi’s –‘Kabiribiri Kyere Me’,Akyeame’s ‘Brebre Obaa Hemaa’,Lord Kenya’s ‘Sika’and Daasebre Dwamena’s ‘Kokooko’. [7] [4] [5]
At a point of his career,Okraku-Mantey ventured into the movie industry when he became the executive producer for Efiewura,a popular Ghanaian comedy series which airs on TV3. [7] [5] He also served as a judge on TV3 Mentor,a music reality show for several years since its launch in 2006. [7]
Okraku-Mantey is also a member of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards board. He was the Programs Director at Hitz FM,a subsidiary of the Multimedia Group from February 2014 to March 2021.
In May 2018,he was awarded with the Ghana DJ Awards Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Ghana DJ Awards for his service and contribution to the DJ profession in Ghana. [2] [9]
Okraku-Mantey is a member of the New Patriotic Party and has been active in politics after publicly showing his support for the party prior to the 2016 Ghana Presidential Elections. He was a member of the team that drafted creative arts section of NPP manifesto for the 2016 and 2020 elections. [10] [11] [12] He has since then been an active creative arts commentator,speaker and spokesperson for the party on several shows and events. [13] [14] [15]
After the NPP won the 2016 elections Okraku-Mantey was appointed as the President of the Creative Arts Council in 2017. [16] [17] In role as the president of the council,he was instrumental in getting the Creative Arts Bill passed.
In April 2021,President Akufo-Addo nominated Okraku Mantey as the Deputy Ministry of Tourism,Culture and Creative Arts. [18] [7] There were opposing views prior to and after his nomination from other creative arts members especially dance hall artiste Shatta Wale and reggae artiste Blakk Rasta. [19] He was vetted in 15 June 2021. [4] [20] [21] At the vetting there were notable creative arts individuals including musicians Samini,Wendy Shay,Kuami Eugene,actress Akofa Edjeani and award-winning play writer Uncle Ebo Whyte,who were present to support him. [22] [23]
He was subsequently approved on 22 June 2021 and later sworn into office on 25 June 2021. [24] [25]
On Friday,July 15,Okraku-Mantey picked forms to contest the Ayensuano (Ghana parliament constituency) seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP.) [26]
Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay a lawyer,a Ghanaian politician and a member of the Second,Third and Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Ellembelle Constituency in the Western Region of Ghana.
St. Augustine’s College is an all-male boarding academic institution in Cape Coast,Ghana. The school started at Amissano,a village near Elmina,in 1930. The Roman Catholic institution was established to serve as a training college and seminary. The school was named after St. Augustine of Hippo. The motto of the college is Omnia Vincit Labor,meaning "Perseverance conquers All". The school has a total of 11 houses.
The Ministry of Tourism,Arts &Culture (MoTAC) Ghana is the government ministry responsible for the development and promotion of tourism-related activities in the country.
Joy FM is a privately owned radio station in Accra,the capital of Ghana. The station is owned and run by the media group company Multimedia Group Limited. It is arguably the leading radio station in Ghana that broadcasts in the English language. Established in 1995 by Kwasi Twum,the founder of Multimedia Group Limited,Joy FM became the first private radio station to be licensed in Ghana.
HITZ FM is a privately owned and a commercial radio station in Accra,the capital of Ghana. The station is owned and run by the media group company Multimedia Group Limited.
Martin King Arthur popularly known as Kofi Kinaata is a Ghanaian musician and songwriter from Takoradi. He is noted for his Fante rap and freestyle and therefore known as the Fante Rap God (FRG).
Catherine Ablema Afeku is a Ghanaian politician. She is a member of the New Patriotic Party and the Member of Parliament for the Evalue Gwira Constituency in the Western Region. She was a cabinet minister in the Nana Akuffo-Addo administration and served as the Minister of Tourism,Culture and Creative Arts of Ghana from February 2017 to February 2019.
Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi is a Ghanaian politician and engineer who is chief executive of the Bui Power Authority since August 2021. A member of the New Patriotic Party,he was Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in Ghana from 2017 to 2021 in the Akufo-Addo administration and has been Regional Minister for the Volta Region from 2005 to 2008 under the John Kufour administration.
Ibrahim Mohammed Awal is a Ghanaian journalist,marketer,entrepreneur and politician. He was CEO of Graphic Communications Group and Chase Petroleum. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party and has served as Minister of Business Development of Ghana since 2017. He is currently the Minister for Tourism,Arts and Culture. Dr. Awal is married with 4 children
Barbara Oteng Gyasi is a Ghanaian politician and the former Member of Parliament of Prestea Huni-Valley constituency of the Western Region of Ghana. She is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP),and was a Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in Ghana and also the former Minister of Tourism,Culture and Creative Arts.
Osei Bonsu Amoah is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and represents the people of Akwapim South Constituency in the Eastern Region of Ghana under the flag of the New Patriotic Party.
George Nenyi Kojo Andah is a Ghanaian politician and the former Member of Parliament of the Awutu Senya West Constituency in the Central Region of Ghana. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party and the Deputy Minister for communications in Ghana.
Eugene Kwame Marfo,who goes by the stage name Kuami Eugene is a Ghanaian High-life and Afrobeat singer-songwriter. He is signed to Lynx Entertainment and Empire Distribution and is known for several songs,including "Angela","Wish Me Well," "Ohemaa" and many others. He won the New Artist awards in 2018 from the Ghana Music Awards and the Ghana Music Awards UK. He also received the Most Promising Artist in Africa award from AFRIMA. In 2019,Kwame Eugene received 7 nominations at the Ghana Music Awards and went on to win the awards for Album of the Year,Producer of the Year,and Highlife Artist of the Year. He was crowned Artist of the Year and High-life Artist of the Year at the 2020 Ghana Music Awards.
Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament and 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana,representing the Asante-Akim North Constituency in the Ashanti Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party.
Empress Gifty is a Ghanaian gospel musician and fashionista. She is the first Gospel Artist in Ghana to hit 1 Million Followers on Instagram.
Daniel Okyere Donkor popularly known with his stage name Mizter Okyere is a Ghanaian saxophonist and producer. In 2019,he was awarded the Best Instrumentalist of the Year at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
Martin Kwaku Adjei-Mensah Korsah is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Techiman South Constituency in the Bono East Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party. He is currently the Deputy Minister for Local Government,Decentralization and Rural Development.
Mohammed Amin Adam is a Ghanaian politician who is was Deputy Minister for Energy and now the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance of Ghana. Prior to becoming the Deputy Minister for Energy,he was the Founder and Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP). He is currently the Member of Parliarment representing Karaga Constituency in the Northern Region of Ghana on the ticket of the NPP.
Dickson Adomako Kissi is a Ghanaian politician and medical practitioner. He is a member of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Anyaa Sowutuom Constituency in the Greater Accra Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party(NPP).