Members and Friends of Ghana’s Arts Community have threatened to boycott Chale Wote Street Arts Festival and other events organized by Nii Mantse Aryeequaye.
In a statement sighted by ghanaweekend.com, the artists, activists, and sympathizers in Ghana’s arts community intimated that until Nii Mantse comes out to clear allegation of abuse levelled against him by his ex-girlfriend Dr Sionne Rameah Neely, they would be forced not to attend events that he organizes.
“In the event that Mr Aryeequaye chooses not to respond, we will exercise our right to collectively boycott events that he is involved with. We will also serve notice to all individuals and associations that choose to continue to work with him in light of this situation, reminding them that while they have the right to their own choices, the responsibility arising from those choices will lie with them,” the group wrote.
The group condemned all forms of abuse in the arts community and declared their collective support for Dr Neely.
They also demanded that Mr Mantse Aryeequaye takes immediate action to cease the baseless interrogations and harassment that infringe our fundamental rights and threaten to cause further division and discord in Ghana’s arts community.
The statement further calls for unity in the arts community both here and abroad: a unity supported by structured processes and an agreed code of conduct, ensuring justice at institutional and individual levels.
“We wish to emphasize the importance of allowing survivors to tell their own stories in their own time, noting that while we collectively appreciate the historical role of anonymity in speaking truth to power, this role must be balanced with the understanding that where anonymity is not used to share one’s own story, it can put survivors and those around them in the line of risk or harm,” they stated.
According to the Arts Community, even following Dr Neely’s official statement, members of the arts community continue to be called in for questioning and remain targets for intimidation, harassment or worse.
They say “this is unacceptable and we call on Mr Aryeequaye to do what is necessary and respectful by responding to the allegations of physical and emotional abuse laid against him, committing himself to all the processes necessary to resolve this matter and to the same glare of truth that he expects to shine on other members of our community. This is not a witch hunt aimed at destroying Chale Wote or Accra [dot] ALT. We are simply calling for Mr Aryeequaye’s accountability and decency in addressing this matter.”
On September 3, 2019, entitled a woman who identified herself as the ex-girlfriend of Nii Mantse Aryeequaye wrote a piece titled ‘Speaking My Truth’ detailing how Nii physically abused her and even threatened to kill her.
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By: ghanaweekend.com
