Chiefs must encourage youth to uphold national culture

Agona Nkwanta (WR), 21 Aug, GNA - Mr Joseph Jones Amoah, Ahanta West District Chief Executive, (DCE) has encouraged traditional authorities to use their expertise to encourage the youth to uphold the national cultural heritage.

He noted that it is only when today's youth appreciate and uphold the cultural heritage would it be passed on to future generations and chiefs were the best positioned to ensure this.

Mr Amoah was addressing the district cultural festival, held at Agona Nkwanta, towards the national festival to be held in the Northern region, soon.

He warned that posterity would not forgive the present generation if it failed to bequeath quality culture to the youth to pass it over to succeeding generations.

The DCE said in spite of modernization and civilization, our culture must not be adulterated with foreign ones because it gives Ghanaians a distinct identity.

While commending chiefs for their role as cultural custodians, he urged them to do their best to do orientate the youth to practice them.

To successfully market the district to the outside world, Mr Amoah admonished the people to take advantage of the rich resources and also mobilize their cultural resources for human and material development.

He advised them to learn varied craft work to utilize their cottage village, which could be developed to attract more tourists.

Mr Benyameen Sam Ato Keelson, Deputy Western Regional Director of the National Culture, called for the collaboration and implementation of programmes for the overall benefit of communities to create wealth, reduce poverty and sustain development.

Mr Keelson noted that culture is the life blood and soul of every nation, therefore, Ghana could not pretend to develop without the conscious efforts at realizing and developing its culture.

"We have to use our culture as the focal point for our development," he stated.