David Dontoh, a veteran actor, has expressed worry over what he termed “the rapid decaying” of Ghanaian traditions and cultural values especially among the youth.
He observed that the youth are gradually losing their sense of identity and belonging because they compare themselves with their western counterparts, forgetting that the youth of the West have different cultural values which might not be cohesive with the Ghanaian culture.
Mr Dontoh expressed these sentiments, at the inauguration of the Central Regional Performers of Traditional Arts Union of Ghana (PETRAUGA), on the theme: “Tradition and Culture, the Unearthed Natural Resources for Ghana’s Socio-Economic Transformation.”
He said culture, being a defensive mechanism that protects the values of people, must be revisited, studied and understood properly and called on traditional leaders to help in its renaissance and preservation.
He, therefore, suggested that PETRAUGA and leaders of the various traditional areas appoint “Agorowura” who will be in charge of the education and preservation of traditional values, arts and culture, as well as the growth of tourism in the Central Region.
He also called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to add culture and traditional arts to its curriculum and urged the youth to preserve their cultural identities in order to be part of global civilization; adding that culture and traditions differentiate countries from each other.
According to Mr Dontoh, although Cape Coast is the hub of tourism in Ghana, it does not have an arts theatre and museum which could generate foreign exchange.
He noted that the palace should not be the only place to unearth historical facts since museums could serve as a first point of call for any historical information.
The Administrator and Media Relations Officer of Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs Football Club, Paul Adjetey Dsane expressed worry that some custodians of the country’s traditions and cultural values are not setting good examples to the young ones with their lifestyles and appealed to them to change for the better.
The Cape Coast Metropolitan Chief Executive, Priscilla Arhin, in a speech read on her behalf, expressed disappointment that Ghanaians are losing some important and inevitable portions of their traditional and cultural values.
“It was about time we harnessed our rich traditions and culture to correct social vices that have bedeviled our country,” she stated.
She spoke against high teenage pregnancy rate in the region and attributed its cause to lack of parental guidance and moral values; and therefore tasked the PETRAUGA to help stem bad practices and build the capacity of the youth with the view to creating job opportunities.
Source: GNA