Formerly known as Tic Tac, now simply Tic, the Ghanaian rap celebrity known for hits like ‘Kangaroo’ and ‘Philomena’ has called the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mark Okraku-Mantey, “a very bad spot.”

Without explanation and stated reasons, Tic said this on his Facebook timeline today, Friday, 7 October 2022.

“The man called 'Mark Okraku-Mantey', a very bad spot in our Ghanaian entertainment space, now occupying the Deputy Minister’s seat for the creatives, makes it even worse for our motherland [Ghana Flag emoji] #Wayo,” the rapper and entreprenuer wrote.  

Mark Okraku-Mantey, deputy to Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, is an acclaimed music producer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Slip Mark Entertainment, who has worked with celebrated Ghanaian artistes like Lord Kenya, the late Daasebre Gyamena and Oheneba Kissi.

His political nomination in 2017 was intensely protested by the likes of media personality and musician Blakk Rasta and musician Shatta Wale.

Prior to assuming the office of Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr Okraku-Mantey was appointed as the President of the Creative Arts Council in 2017.

Noted for his outspoken posture and often compared to Simon Cowell, he is considered by many as controversial and abrasive in speech and deed.

In November 2021, social commentator and musician Kwame A Plus accused Okraku-Mantey of giving state funds to his friends and family instead of channelling them into his office’s work.

Following the 2021 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards event, singer KiDi took issue with how the Minister taunted him while announcing the winner for the ultimate award of the night, Artiste of the Year, which he had hoped for but missed. In an Instagram Live post, he uneasily laughed and said: “Honourable Mark Okraku-Mantey, me and you are fighting because the way you announced the winner, was really someway [not nice of you].”  

In March 2022, famed artiste manager Bullgod accused Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey of not being proactive in his Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts ministerial position and added he had been reliably informed the Minister was giving his close allies financial favours instead of attending to pressing matters in his sector.  

In September, Mr Okraku-Mantey revealed in an interview that while he was the Programs Director at the Multimedia Group Limited’s Hitz FM, he blacklisted Ghanaian reggae/dancehall artiste Shatta Wale after the latter declined an interview and was allegedly rude to him and his team. He said this on Hitz FM.

He indicated that due to this, his team, under his leadership, decided to play more of the music of the dancehall artiste’s competition, Stonebwoy.

Last night during an episode of Paul Adom Otchere’s Good Evening Ghana programme on Metro TV, Shatta Wale claimed the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mark Okraku Mantey, has been trying to end his career.

Meanwhile, Tic’s latest song is ‘Wayo’ featuring fellow rap veteran Joe Fraizer and singer Samuel G.