Politics too risky for showbiz persons — Aweele

WHILE entertainers in other parts of the world have successfully pursued political office, the opposite seems to be the case in Ghana with most showbiz personalities who ventured into politics, being shamed or ridiculed, or their careers ending abruptly.

While some of the personalities have been bold to still enter the political fray nonetheless, for actor/comedian, Hubert Attukwei Korley, popularly known as Aweele of Chorkor Trotro fame, the negative experiences have made him forget his political ambitions.

In an interview with the Graphic Showbiz, Aweele opened up about his interest in and apprehensions about a political life but mentioned his admiration for John Dumelo, Ebi Bright and Dzifa Gomashie who are aspiring to get into Parliament on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“I love politics and frankly, I wouldn’t mind taking such a path in the future if I have the resources but the witch -hunting of entertainers discourages me. It is as if everyone wants to see you go down but that should not be the case.

“It is so wrong for showbiz personalities’ careers to suffer just because they want to serve their people or even offer alternate political views about the way forward for our country. Unfortunately, that is the current situation because of the high illiteracy rate.

Aweele cited the fate that befell his colleague actor, Clement Bonney, popularly known as Mr Beautiful, whose career has taken a nose dive because of his association with the NDC.

“Many people are ignorant of how politics plays out and would see his/her favourite celebrity as an enemy just because they don’t share the same political ideologies but that is so wrong and must not be encouraged,” he said.

As the various political parties prepare for next year’s general elections, a number of showbiz personalities have shown interest in climbing the political ladder.

There has been news of Bice Osei Kuffuor, immediate past President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), nursing plans to go to Parliament on the ticket of New Patriotic Party in the Asante Akyem South constituency.

Speaking on the move, Aweele said it was a step in the right direction since celebrities also had the courage, leadership skills and political wisdom to take up such roles.

“The fact that we are entertainers doesn’t mean we don’t have brains and are not good enough to lead people. There are the likes of George Weah, current President of Liberia, in governance among a host of other examples I can cite.

“People must appreciate our influence both positively and negatively. If we are cautioned to do the right things because we are thought to be role models, then we must also be appreciated for our positive influence too,” he stated.

Aweele honed his acting skills on By The Fireside in 1992 and 1993 but his big break came on Chorkor Trotro which also featured another comedian, Funny Face. He has also featured on Jamestown Fisherman.

For now, Aweele is working on a new series, Kasoa Trotro with Funny Face as the scriptwriter and his own production titled, Asaase Sea Man, which will start showing on Agoo TV soon.

“I’m also into artiste management and I have an acting school where I groom wannabe actors. I need to do this because somebody also gave me a platform to show my talent to the world,” he told Graphic Showbiz.