“NO MONEY, NO ELECTIONS” - ACTORS' GUILD PRESIDENT

If you are one of the critics who wonder why the Ghana Actors Guild has not organized elections to elect new executives, the guild's President says; “no money, no elections.”

The media (including Flex newspaper) have been on the neck of President of Ghana Actors Guild Mr. Odoi Mensah to organize an election for the union since his tenure of office has elapsed. Some critics have even unfairly tagged him as the 'Mugabe of Ghana Actors Guild' who wants to lead the guild forever.

In an exclusive duologue with Flex newspaper on why the guild has still not organized a general election, Mr. Odoi Mensah revealed that the guild is cash trapped, hence their inability to organize an election. “We have planned the election but we don't have the funds to do so. The structure of the guild's election is such that all our regional branches would have to do their separate elections.

After that, the National Executive Council (NEC) would sit and agree on the general congress elections. All these require huge sums of money. The very members of the guild who criticize the guild for failing in doing certain things are the very ones who don't pay their dues! They don't even attend meetings so we can all brainstorm for the way forward as far as raising funds for the guild is concerned!” Mr. Odoi lamented.

So when will the guild organize elections? Mr. Odoi concluded: as I've told you, everything boils down to money. As soon as we get money, we shall do the election! No money no elections! People who insult me for still holding on to the office should rather help us in getting funds! Criticizing without any recommendation is unnecessary!

Two years ago, precisely 28th Sept, 2011, the Greater Accra Regional Secretary of Ghana Actors Guild Mr. Lucky Caleb told your authoritative Flex newspaper that the guild intended to organize a general election because that year marked the end of Mr. Odoi Mensah's tenure of office but they lacked funds to do so.

If the information Mr. Caleb gave to Flex newspaper two years ago is anything to go by, then Mr. Odoi Mensah has stayed in office for 10 years; 2 years in excess of the guild's prescribed 8 years maximum tenure of office. However, Mr. Odoi has stayed that long not because he is a fiendish despot who refuses to make way for another person to lead Ghana Actors Guild, but because the guild does not have the requisite resources to organize elections.

The time is now or never. Ghana Actors Guild needs support. Let's all as media practitioners, use our platforms – radio, television, print, websites, blogs, etc. to call on corporate Ghana and local and international donor and grant agencies to come to the aid of Ghana Actors Guild.