The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts ( MOTCCA) and MP for Ketu South, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie on 13th February 2025 met the staff of the Ministry where she interacted with them and shared her vision of how things ought to be done for the sector to achieve its mandate.
According to her, it is about discovering how to make it work. Her acceptance of being a sector minister is to help achieve her party’s manifesto.
She spoke about her career having started in the sector and her association with gurus like Dr Efua Sutherland and Dr Mohammed Ben Abdalla. She traced it to the time when the sod was cut for the National Theatre to be built.
Though she said theatre has retrogressed a bit, she was of the view that we are positioned to bring it back to its acceptable level.
She reiterated the importance of teamwork and collaboration among all directorates and agencies to achieve a lot. She said together we can go a long way in achieving a lot. There is therefore the need to break down the barriers that prevent us from doing things together as a sector.
According to her, there would be a need to review the resume of staff to assess strengths and know where each can play well their roles.
To be able to do this, she said there will be the need to seek the support of the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS) to beef up the Public Relations (PR) Unit to support better communication within the sector.
She said we all need to tell our stories for her to know what we can do better.
She also spoke about the welfare of staff being of immense importance to her and that her doors were open to all to come and discuss issues that need immediate attention. Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie said, that when we fall in life, it is a way for us to learn to correct ourselves and rise again she ended.
Hon Yusif Jajah, Deputy Minister-designate for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and MP for Ayawaso North said given the nod, he said, his role would be to support the Minister in achieving the mandate of the sector.
The Ag. Chief Director, Mr Vittus Otto Langmagne in a brief statement said that Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie was not to the sector, having served previously as a Deputy Minister and will be ably supported by the Hon. Yusif Jajah after he was given the nod by the Vetting Committee in Parliament. He spoke about the support required from staff to enable us all to achieve the mandate of the sector.
There was some time allowed for staff to ask questions and clarify issues with the Hon. Minister, which was an assurance received from the leadership concerning their readiness to create an environment that would enable all to work happily and amicably.
The staff of the Ghana Tourism Authority on behalf of their Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Maame Efua Houadjeto presented chocolate to the Honourable Minister as a way of welcoming her to office and used the occasion to wish her a Happy Chocolate Day.
