Use drama to solve developmental problems of the North-Minister

Tamale, June 13, GNA - The Northern Regional Minister Mr. Stephen Sumani Nayina has urged the people of the North to use drama to resolve the various developmental challenges facing them, especially conflicts and other social ills in society could be dealt with by exposing them through drama.

He said drama must be used for education, information, communication and advocacy along other mechanisms to resolve issues currently confronting the development of the people in the area. Mr. Nayina said this in a speech read for him during the launch of "Tiyumtaba Drama Group", a resident drama troupe on Friday in Tamale. He said the country was fast clinching on to the foreign culture with total neglect of the beautiful culture of Ghana, thereby bringing about various negative effects to the people. Mr. Nayina said "what used to be immoral and unacceptable in our society is now fashionable and glorified to the admiration of the youth" adding that, with this trend, the future of the country's culture is in jeopardy since the next generation might not abreast the with Ghanaian culture.

"The ladies wear fancy dresses while others go almost naked and the boys pull their belts to the naval level all in the name of modernity," he emphasized. Mr. James Adabuga, the Northern Regional Director for Centre for National Culture said besides criticizing the ills in society, drama could be used to educate people on their civic rights and responsibilities as well as on government policies. He said the "Tiyumtaba Drama Group" was going to be used to mitigate chieftaincy and land disputes which had the potential of bringing about conflicts that had become perennial in the area. "By dramatizing these issues, it brings about understanding and tolerance amongst our people and for us to appreciate each others culture and tradition particularly on chieftaincy and religious differences", he stressed. He appealed to the government to assist his outfit to be able to "bring back the past glories of our culture bequeathed to us by our forefathers" adding that, it was only through this that the country could regain its culture. 13 June 09