Juliet Asante, the outgoing Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority (NFA), has shared her experiences leading the organization, detailing the struggles she faced during her tenure.
In a Facebook post, Juliet Asante revealed that when she took up the role in November 2020, the NFA had no office, funding, or operational support. She and her small team worked without salaries for two years, often covering expenses from their own pockets while struggling to establish the agency.
She further recalled receiving just GH₵1,000 in the first year and GH₵10,000 in the second year to run the organization. Despite these financial constraints, she spearheaded initiatives such as data collection for the film sector, which she claimed was blocked by the board.
The outgoing Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority (NFA) also spoke about the personal and professional hardships she endured, including an antagonistic board, online and offline attacks, workplace harassment, and financial strain while caring for her ailing mother. She recounted an incident where she was verbally assaulted by board members for hours and faced continuous opposition in her efforts to develop the film industry.
Despite the challenges, she expressed gratitude to those who supported her and celebrated the contributions of her team, some of whom worked as unpaid volunteers. She also noted that all online content from the NFA was edited on her personal machine due to resource constraints.
Acknowledging the appointment of Kafui Danku as her successor, Juliet urged authorities to provide better support, including an office and a vehicle, to ensure effective operations. She also requested a formal layoff letter, stating that it was only respectful to do so before appointing a new executive.
Reflecting on her journey, Asante expressed disappointment in not being able to complete her work but remained optimistic about the future. She ended her message with gratitude to Ghanaians and the film industry for the opportunity to serve. She also revealed that she had not received any official lay-off letter before her replacement was announced.
“And while you are at it, please send me my lay-off letter. It is only respectful to both CEOs to ask the sitting to go in writing before appointing another… or isn’t it?” she wrote.
