GAMA Board Inaugurated

Published in the Daily Graphic on 12th Nov,2009, pg 38

Story: Matilda Attram
THE Minister of Information, Mrs Zita Okaikoi, has expressed concern about the exposure of Ghanaian youth to foreign movies, which can affect their moral life.
She, therefore, charged the Board of Directors of the GAMA Film Company to encourage the production of local movies, which would capture social experiences for national development.
Inaugurating the new Board of Directors of GAMA in Accra yesterday, Mrs Okaikoi said the GAMA Film Company had virtually become inactive in local film production and the local film production was sinking because the foreign movies had virtually taken over the local market.
The members of the board are Mr Syed Ahmad Zaidi, the Chief Executive Officer of TV3, Mr Sheikh Suhaimi, the Chief Operation Officer of TV3, and Ahmed Farid of GAMA Film Company, a government nominee.
Others are Mr Enerst Carl Vanderpuye, a government nominee, Mr Edward Addo of Winmat Limited and Mrs Pepertual Darfoor of AV and Company, who are majority shareholders of GAMA.
Mrs Okaikoi said the GAMA Film Company was inactive in the production of local movies, which educated and entertain the public due to the introduction of foreign movies in the country.
“Our own movie production is going down because we have allowed foreign ones to take over our markets and this has negatively affected our children,” she said.
She charged the new members of the board to co-operate and ensure the improvement of the Ghanaian movie industry.
Mrs Okaikoi commended some members of the industry such as Shirley Frimpong-Manso and Akofa Asiedu Adjeani for their efforts at upgrading the local movie industry and pledged the government’s commitment to ensuring the passage of the Film and Classification Bill to improve the industry.
The Director of Operations of GAMA, Mr Kofi Nyantekye complimented the government for its support and assured the public of the determination of the company to improve the local movie industry.