The family of the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama has sent a plea to all movie producers not to use the circumstances surrounding the late soldier’s death to produce any movie.
Mr. Douri Bennin Haji, who speaks for the family, urged movie producers to be circumspect and not venture into any production of the unfortunate incident to hurt the family more.
Major Maxwell Adams Mahama died on Monday, May 29, after he was beaten, stoned and burnt by residents of Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region who mistook him for an armed robber because he carried a weapon while doing his usual early morning physical exercise.
He was promoted posthumously to the rank of a Major by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Speaking in an interview with Franky 5 on the ‘This is Gospel’ show on Hitz FM, Mr Haji, who is an uncle to the fallen officer, noted while the family is grateful that there is a reduction in the circulation of pictures and videos of the incident, movie producers should not compound their pain by enacting it.
He commended the National Media Commission for controlling the circulating of visuals of the lynching and appealed to Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Catherine Afeku, to ensure movie directors and producers do not enact the circumstances that led to the murder.
“The rate at which the pictures and things were being flashed in the media, has reduced drastically and so, we will want to urge the media to continue on that path,” he said.
Mr Haji added that, “it’s not only the pictures, but you know in Ghana, when things like this happen, you’ll wake up one morning to hear that there are movies – part one up to part ten – and we just want to continue to appeal especially to the Minister for Creative Arts to extend some guidelines to the movie producers and directors.”
To explain further, he stated that; “Remember the late Major has also left behind very young kids and if we wake up one morning and we have movies part one up to ten, the children will come across these things, the family will come across it and it will continue to hurt us.”
“We’re not saying that people should not discuss it at all but coming out with movies and horrific videos of what happened to our Major will not be in good taste. So, through your medium and also to the Minister for Creative Arts, I think she should hold a meeting with the movie producers so that we can move forward,” the family spokesperson concluded.
