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Eastern Region holds Festival of Arts and Culture
• Dr Akosua Abdallah (left), greeting Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III
Cultural display was at its best in the Eastern Region during this year’s Regional Festival of Arts and Culture which was celebrated at the Koforidua Jubilee Park.
The region which has 11 traditional areas namely Anum, Boso, Manya and Yilo Krobo, Akuapem, Akyem Abuakwa, Bosome, Kotoku, Kwahu, Akwamu and New Juaben had their cultures displayed through beautiful performances.
Several performances, including the dipo, adowa, borborbo, among other traditional dance were performed by the Ohu Cultural Group from Akropong, Klama Cultural Group from Odumase-Krobo, Nyanyui Borborbor and Centre for National Culture (CNC) Cultural Group in Koforidua, to the admiration of the audience.
The Asokore Seventh Day Adventist, Oyoko Methodist and Ghana Senior High Schools were among schools that performed through poem recitals, brass band performance and singing of corals.
The Eastern Regional Police Band was also present to grace the occasion which was chaired by the Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III.
Speaking on the theme: “Reviving Patriotism, Peace and Unity Through Cultural Diversity for Sustainable Development,” the Director in charge of Community Education and Youth Development (CEYD) at the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Dr Akosua Abdallah said it was worrying to note that modernisation and globalisation had affected and continued to affect every aspect of national life and culture.
“You will go to a house and they are eating fried rice, noodles and other foods that are not Ghanaian. Where are our traditional foods like ampesi, fufu and the rest? We need to go back and teach our children our traditional foods and culture and stop adopting western culture which was depleting our culture,” she said.
She said there was an urgent need to imbibe into the youth, a sense of patriotism, nationalism, unity and a selfless ideal towards the country, adding that the NCC believed in a national strategy that sought to promote and sustain the interest of Ghanaians, particularly the youth and called for some stock-taking and deeper reflection on “our ideals so that we can teach our youth.”
She said the NCC was committed to promoting the national culture and would continue to hold such events to promote the cultures to the international community.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong stated that the Culture and Creative Arts Industry was an essential component of the country’s economy which was making significant contribution to national development.
“We consciously need to guard it by steadfastly holding on to it for employment and wealth creation and it is important to uphold the rich cultures handed to us by our ancestral heritage taking cognisance of its vitality and values,” he said.
He said the theme was apt since the country had allowed for western cultures to permeate the Ghanaian culture through technology, adding that the situation had caused a lot of indiscipline among the youth.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu
Agyeman, Koforidua
The Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has disbursed GHS134,000 to 22 students under the latest round of his Scholarship and Bursaries Programme.
According to a statement from his office, the 22 beneficiaries are enrolled in 16 tertiary institutions across the country.
They are studying various courses, including medicine, marketing, law, public health, midwifery, business administration, education, and secretaryship.
The MP’s office commended the beneficiaries, especially the five students currently studying medicine and physician assistantship, encouraging them to remain committed to their studies.
The statement indicated that the scholarship initiative, which began in 2017, aims to support brilliant but needy students from the Ofoase Ayirebi Constituency to further their education. So far, about 700 students have benefited from the program.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Four tricycle operators, popularly known as ‘Pragya’, have been prosecuted and fined GH¢600 each equivalent to 50 penalty units by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court for obstructing public roads at the Agbogbloshie Market.
The offenders, who were arrested by Public Health Officers of the AMA during a routine enforcement exercise, pleaded guilty to the offence and were subsequently convicted by the court.
The four operators were among the 21 offenders recently arrested at the Agbogbloshie Market for various sanitation and public order violations, including selling on open drains, obstructing walkways, and trading at unauthorised locations.
Speaking after the court proceedings, the Head of Public Health at the AMA, Madam Florence Kuukyi, said the court was lenient with the offenders since it was their first appearance, hence the fine, and warned that subsequent offenders would face stiffer penalties, including imprisonment.
