Young award winning actor and Free Senior High School (FSHS) ambassador, Rahim Banda, has advised politicians not to politicise the country’s educational system especially the FSHS intended to provide every Ghanaian child access to quality education.
According to him, tagging education with political colours would undermine its nature and also make it difficult for stakeholders to effectively tackle issues related to quality and sustainable education.
Rahim Banda said education was an important aspect in one’s life, thus necessary policies should be implemented to inspire children to go to school.
He noted that children would lose a lot if their welfare did not become a national priority thus underscored the need for politicians to work closely with educational stakeholders to improve educational standards.
To accelerate the country’s development, Rahim Banda called for urgent steps to be taken to promote inclusive education and promised his outfit’s readiness to get every street child back to school while working to sustain those in school for them not to drop out.
The 19-year-old actor who made his entry in the movie industry in 2010, with a movie titled “Masters of the Game” also called on the government to implement policies to protect the creative arts industry.
He observed the influx of foreign movies which were hindering the success of the local industry and also appealed to the media to reduce the number of them on the national television screens.
That, the light skin actor stated would provide more opportunities for local content providers especially film producers, local writers and also provide jobs for the youth.
He told Times Weekend (TW) during an exclusive interview on Wednesday in Accra that for the country’s economy to improve, much effort should be geared towards the boosting of the local content.
Rahim Banda is the son of the award winning movie and music producer Ahmed Banda known in the showbiz circles as Bandex.
Rahim has starred in about 20 movies and has more than three awards to his credit as a young actor; Rahim Banda completed Ghana National College in 2019 and currently studying at the University of Ghana, Legon (UG).
…excerpts……
TW: Welcome to Times Weekend!
Rahim: My pleasure
TW: How are you?
Rahim: I am doing good and you?
TW: I am blessed!
TW: At what age did you start acting?
Rahim: I started acting at the age of 10 years.
TW: Did you feel any challenge when you were introduced?
Rahim: There is always a first time of doing something, I was too young then and children memorise things so easily. I have the passion and zeal to be an actor so it was not that difficult though.
TW: How do you see the current industry?
Rahim: I would say there is time for everything, for now the industry is not excelling as expected but I know the appropriate time will avail itself for the industry to boom!
TW: Did Kumawood movies spoil the market of the Ghallywood industry?
Rahim: No! It would not have been an issue if it was Kumawood but the influx of foreign content.
TW: What are you doing now?
Rahim: Schooling, I am in UG, reading Bachelor of Art in history, archaeology and information studies.
TW: How do you combine your education with your project as an ambassador?
Rahim: I schedule everything to suit my education and my ambassadorial projects.
TW: Update us on some of your work as an ambassador?
Rahim: Actually I am doing it in the name of my foundation dubbed “Back to School from the Street” and our major aim is to provide funds, books, pens and other educational equipment for children living in deprived communities to enable street children go back to school.
TW: Great! Is this charitable deed a nationwide project?
Rahim: Yeah! We did it in Greater Accra, Brong Ahafo and Eastern regions, we are working to extend it to other deprived communities in the country which have not benefitted from this project.
TW: Who is your celebrity crush?
Rahim: Rihanna.
TW: Do you have intention to be a politician?
Rahim: Yes!
TW: Which political party would you love to join as a politician?
Rahim: It is too early for me to decide on that.
TW: Should free SHS be maintained?
Rahim: Yes! It is laudable and it should be maintained by this and successive governments.
TW: Who is your inspiration in life?
Rahim: My parents, especially my dad.
TW: Who is your role model?
Rahim: John Dumelo.
TW: Where do you want to see yourself in three to five years?
Rahim: I want to see myself somewhere in the United Nations (UN).
TW: How do you want to be remembered?
Rahim: I want people to remember me as a humble person and someone who respects others irrespective of their age.
TW: Who is your favourite musician?
Rahim: I really don’t have a favourite, I listen to everyone’s tracks. I just listen to music based on my mood.
TW: I want you to advise parents?
Rahim: Parents should value education and ensure they enrol their wards in school. Education adds value to one’s life so one should not cast lot with it.
TW: It was a pleasure having you on today’s TW edition!
Rahim: The pleasure is mine!
BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE
