The Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, Hon. Sampson Kwaku Boafo, on Monday urged media practitioners to lead the crusade to salvage what is left of the rich Ghanaian culture.

He said it was unbelievable the levels to which Ghanaian cultural values have deteriorated, including language forms, but expressed the hope that all was not lost yet if all concerned would play their roles to restore and preserve an otherwise rich and vibrant heritage. In his words, two heads are better than one, hence his desire to solicit the input of all.

The Minister, who is also the MP for Subin, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region, made the observation and appeal when he led a high-power delegation from the Ministry to call on the management of Joy FM to solicit the radio station’s support for the cultural renaissance.

He announced that the month of November 2007 would witness two very important national cultural events; namely Cultural Awareness Month and National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC).

The Cultural Awareness month will be celebrated through a series of nationwide outreach programmes to promote the nation’s cultural heritage among Ghanaians, while NAFAC is a 10-day festival celebrating Ghana’s unity in diversity, promoting excellence and creativity in the arts.

Detailed activities for Cultural Month

	Kofi Owusu, left and Kwesi Asare, (head of table) listen to Wofa Yaw Poku-Dankwa, (standing) Director at the Ministry in charge of Special Projects who is all gratitude for the reception accorded the delegation. On the right is the Minister, S.K. Boafo.

Activities lined up for the celebrations include television quiz and cultural entertainment programmes, traditional foods day, exhibitions of sculptural works, paintings, art and crafts. Others include traditional technology contests at which renowned inventors like Apostle Kwadwo Safo of the Christo Asafo fame and others from the famous Kumasi Suame Magazine and all over the country would display their inventions.

There will also be story telling, traditional fashion shows, language fora and film festivals. NAFAC, which would be hosted by the Ashanti Region, will also feature a durbar of chiefs.

Accompanying the Minister were Wofa Yaw Poku-Dankwa, Director at the Ministry in charge of Special Projects, Mr. David Owusu Amoah, Public Relations Officer, his deputy Irene Opoku Asamoah and Comfort Acquah, Secretary.

Mr. Kwesi Owusu Asare, Joy FM’s General Manager, commended the Minister and the Ministry for taking the initiative to promote a worthy programme and assured the team that Joy FM would lend it all the support it required. He reiterated that the visit had been very educative and expressed the hope that collaboration will see the success of the programmes.

Joy FM’s Programmes Director, Kofi Owusu, and News Editor, Matilda Asante, were both full of praise for the Ministry’s desire to reach out to the masses on the proposed programmes and said Ghana remained the only home for Ghanaians and urged all to make the country a better place to live in.

Cox Tamakloe, Joy FM’s Head of Events and Promotions, announced that the station had already taken the initiative to host a cultural food fair to popularize traditional dishes in October and was hoping to expand it next year.