Accra: Entertainment pundit Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo has raised concerns about the calls for the government to construct a dedicated museum in honor of legendary Ghanaian musician Daddy Lumba. Speaking on UTV’s United Showbiz, Arnold contended that the establishment of a private museum for an individual artiste should primarily be the responsibility of the artiste’s family.
According to Ghana Web, Arnold emphasized that it is unrealistic to expect the government to build museums for every prominent Ghanaian artiste, especially when numerous musicians and creative personalities also deserve recognition. He stated, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to build a private museum for every individual artiste. He can’t even keep up because if you say he should build Daddy Lumba’s own, he has to do for Osibisa and others too.”
Arnold further explained that the family of an artiste stands to gain the most from a private museum and should therefore lead in its establishment. He suggested that the government could play a supportive role by partnering with the family. “At the end of the day, they’re the biggest beneficiaries and if they should make the museum, what the government can do is to partner,” he stated.
Despite this, Arnold acknowledged the government’s important role in creating an enabling environment for private-sector investments in the creative industry. He pointed out that a well-developed private museum for Daddy Lumba could attract tourists and stimulate economic activity in sectors like transportation, hospitality, and taxation.
He reiterated that government should not assume the direct responsibility for constructing a private museum for an individual artiste. Instead, he highlighted Ghana’s existing National Museum as the suitable institution for preserving and showcasing the country’s collective creative and cultural heritage.
Arnold urged relevant state institutions, including the National Commission on Culture and the Creative Arts Agency, to fulfill their roles in promoting Ghana’s creative heritage. “The agencies that are under the ministries, like the National Commission on Culture and Creative Arts Agency, are the ones who are supposed to step in,” he noted.
In Arnold’s view, the priority should be to strengthen existing national institutions and use them to properly document and showcase Ghana’s music, arts, and cultural heritage, rather than establishing government-funded private museums for individual artistes. “But thinking of building a private museum doesn’t sit well with me. What we have already is what we should focus on in showcasing our creative industry, culture and arts,” he added.