Government asked to empower MMDAs to support culture

Wa, Aug. 16, GNA - The government has been asked to use a legal instrument to compel Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to support the development of cultural infrastructure within their areas.

The provision of children's parks, community theatres, district art centres and the creation of regional art markets or cultural villages would bring order and serenity into the communities, ease tourist's frustrations and create jobs for the youth.

Mr. William Addo, Dean of the Association of Directors of Centres of National Culture (CNC), said this at the conference of Directors and Accountants of CNC.

Mr. Addo, who is also the Volta Regional Director of the CNC, said the situation where the National Commission on Culture and the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture as supervisory authorities did not seem to have clear cut rules and responsibilities in dealing with the centres could result in confusion and impede development.

"Without effective plans to institutionalize and operate well resourced theatre facilities for at least each of the 10 Centres of National Culture to live up to their mandate of supporting and projecting the Arts, they will merely be seen as ineffective in whatever they do", he said.

Mr. Mark Dagbee, Upper West Regional Director of the CNC, said research conducted into water bodies across six districts in the region by the Centre revealed the existence a lot of indigenous knowledge that could be harnessed to protect water bodies and ecosystems.

He appealed to the Government to place the completion of the Upper West Regional theatre building as top priority as it represented the aspirations of the people especially the youth to expose their aesthetic potentials.