Ghanaian actor and comedian, Clemet Bonney popularly known as Mr Beautiful has opened up about how he eventually found himself actively involved in politics.
Speaking on the Afternoon Show on TV3, Mr Beautiful narrated how a one-time encounter with former President Mahama in 2012 opened doors for him to become a ‘close friend’ of the NDC’s flagbearer.
The comic actor disclosed that he established contacts with John Mahama who seldomly invites him together with other colleagues to his house to entertain him and ease stress.
He said his involvement in the campaign activities of the NDC and politics begun in 2012 when the late former president John Evans Atta Mills passed on.
According to Mr Beautiful, with only six months to the 2012 elections, John Mahama then had to combine his work as President and embark on campaign.
This, he said was hectic and affected the time schedule for his campaign activities. This prompted the need to adopt a strategy for his campaign.
The strategy was that Mr Beautiful and other colleagues took the lead to the campaign grounds and entertain the crowd with comics while they wait for John Mahama to arrive.
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He disclosed on Tuesday, September 10 that this was the beginning of his involvement in politics.
“I was going to meet someone at castle and I saw him. At that time, he was a Vice-President. Immediately, he saw me he said you are Mr Beautiful and I said yes Sir.
“So, he asked his bodyguard, Razak to take my number and he took my number. So, once a while he will call me, Bobocala, DJ Willie and we will go to his house one Sunday afternoon and entertain him, he likes to laugh that is the kind of man he is,” Mr Beautiful said.
He continued: “In 2012 after Prof. Millls’ death it was left with six months to election. He had to combine the presidency job and campaign activities so he was always behind time.
“So he adapted a system that once he has not gotten to the campaign grounds yet, we should take the lead and entertain the crowd before he arrives. So, we adapted that strategy throughout the campaign and that was how I joined politics.”
He emphasized that he was aware of the consequences of his involvement in politics.
Mr. Beautiful recounted a time he lost a TV commercial deal due to his involvement with the NDC.
“I knew there would be attacks. I remember I was in South Africa then my manager told me that some project. They wanted me to do a TV commercial for them. I told them I was ready.
“I flew to Ghana and got to the location. When the Marketing Director came, he said but this is Mr Beautiful, I cannot work with him, he supports NDC. And I said okay, no problem then fly me back so he flew me back,” he shared.
He revealed that Kumawood also banned shooting a movie with him because he was affiliated with the NDC.
Despite all the consequences of his actions, Mr Beautiful said he was not fazed because he knew Ghana was a “baby in democracy” and would overcome all the setbacks one day.
“Kumawood also called me that all persons in Kumasi support NPP so because I have joined the NDC, I cannot shoot movie with them anymore.
“So, I knew it but what motivated me was that I knew we were still a baby in Democracy and that we would overcome it one day.
“I took a bold step and I 2016 all of them came onboard. I was happy when I saw my colleagues joining politics,” he stated.
