"Creative industry is no place for drop outs"

The acting Eastern Regional Director of Centre for National Culture(CNC), Rev. Stephen Ebo Kessie, said the creative industry is no longer a place for school drop outs.

The industry now requires high sense of intelligence and skills to enable one to excel, he said, adding that, young people in the industry needed to be nurtured to maturity to bring the best out of them.

Rev. Kessie was speaking at the opening of a three- day Joy Industries Basic Schools Drama and Poetry Festival, which was organized under the theme "nurturing and directing young talents toward nation building" at Koforidua.

He explained that the three days festival will be able to unearth the latent talents of the young participants who could be nurtured for them to become great writers, poets and actors.

He advised the children to take their studies serious and put an end to the unnecessary internet usage but rather visit the library to read to broaden their knowledge.

Mr Andy Agbemehia, a representative of the New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, said the youth who were the future leaders of the country needed to be adequately prepared through diverse knowledge and skill acquisition.

He called on parents and teachers to play their role to ensure that, the youth got the moral upbringing that instilled discipline in them.

Mr Agbemehia called for better equipment of young people with skills to enable them respond to the ever changing world.

Madam Esther Otu, Deputy Municipal Director of Education, said nations with appropriate human resource were able to develop faster because they were able to effectively utilize their resources and also take advantage of the natural resources of other nations.

She explained that, it is therefore necessary to identify, develop and direct all talents of the young ones toward nation building and called for concerted efforts of all stakeholders.

Madam Otu urged parents and teachers to identify the talents of young people and advised them not to look down on any talent.

She urged co-operate bodies, institutions and the state to take the responsibility to provide opportunities for the young ones to showcase their talents.

Mr Ofosu Kwakye of the Ghana Education Service, Koforidua, said drama was part of one’s culture that seeks to reshape one’s lives.

The festival has 11 basic schools from the municipality participating and the schools would be performing poetry recital and drama.