We are better off united, ethnic differences should not divide us - President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama says the deliberate misrepresentation of ethnicity in the socio-political environment of the country today is unhealthy for national development.

He said the unfortunate development, which was targeted at creating divisions and rivalry among the people could undermine the unity and cohesion of the nation.

"This doesn’t have to be so. It is wrong. It diminishes our rich cultural heritage and sharpens our differences instead of reinforcing the positives of our cultural diversity," he said.

Speaking at a national durbar of chiefs at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani to officially open the 2014 National Festival of Arts and Culture ( NAFAC) on Saturday, Mr Mahama said the ethnically diverse Ghanaian society was a wonderful thing that must be built on to promote oneness, unity and inclusiveness.

"Like the different strands of colour and texture woven beautifully by the kente or smock weaver into a unique and attractive pattern, we must see our cultural diversity as a unique platform for building our synergy into a common force for good. This festival is a celebration of that cultural diversity," the President said.

NAFAC

NAFAC is a biennial event that offers a common ground for all 10 regions of the country to come together to display the very best of their culture and traditions. 

This year's event which will end on December 11, is on the theme, "The creative arts industry and tourism - a national platform for national development."

It is being organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts in collaboration with the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, and the Brong Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council.

All the 10 regions are participating in the activities which include exhibition, choral music, football gala and traditional beauty pageant.

Threat of urbanisation

President Mahama pointed out that the tide of urbanisation sweeping across the urban communities was hazardous to the long-cherished traditional values of the people, and all must stand up against it.

He was however delighted that the rural communities which were the epicentre of the culture and value systems, had not suffered much from the effects of urbanisation and globalization.

"I dare say that a lot of the creative potential in these communities is yet to be explored. It is important for us to reach out to our folks, especially the youth, to touch and rekindle their creative and innate potentials to bring out the best in them," he said.

Creative potentials 

Touching on the potentials of the creative sector, President Mahama expressed the hope that the on-going restructuring and reforms in the sector would bring positive results in economic returns. 

Against the background of the intense competition in the global creative industry, the President called for the repackaging of the country's unique cultural products and artifacts, to help compete strongly on the international market.

"This is the way to go and we see the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts leading us in this direction," he added.

He said it was to support the initiatives in the sector that the government had established a one per cent levy on the hospitality and cultural products industry. 

"This is a consumer tax, and the fund is expected to provide the needed resources to train, research, market and provide critical infrastructure for the sector.

The fund is for the benefit of every member of the culture, creative arts and tourism industry," he said and rallied all players in the sector to embrace and support the initiative, which he said was critical to the growth of the creative arts industry.

Relevance of chieftaincy 

President Mahama said the importance of the chieftaincy institution in the socio-economic and cultural development of the county could not be underestimated.

In that respect, he expressed concern about the chieftaincy disputes that tended to mar the beauty and relevance of the time-tested institution.

He was however happy about the progress made by the National House of Chiefs to codify lines of succession of stools and skins, in an effort to find a solution to the disputes.

Cleanliness 

He called on Ghanaians to promote environmental cleanliness to prevent the outbreak of diseases like cholera and malaria, saying the culture of the country had promoted good sanitation and hygiene. 

Regrettably today, "this culture of tidiness appears to be slipping away, to be replaced by attitudes of tardiness, with an increase in filth, squalor and the careless exploitation of the environment."

He indicated that the country could not feel proud when filth continues to swallow the surroundings.

This was why he had instructed the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembles to design a sustainable sanitation programme and enforce bye-laws on sanitation.

Host Minister 

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, congratulated chiefs and queen mothers for the roles they played in the organisation of the festival.

She called on educational institutions to include domestic tourism in their activities.

She said the government's commitment of resources for the construction of a regional theatre in Sunyani was a demonstration of President Mahama’s commitment to the development of the Brong Ahafo region and the creative industry.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku spoke against the lack of respect for leadership and the elderly in the society.

He said the insults that were churned out on radio at leaders were distasteful and must be stopped.

The Yejihene and President of the Regional House of Chiefs, Pemampem Yaw Kagberese V, who chaired the function, said NAFAC was one of the most important events on the national calendar.

He apologised to President Mahama for arriving on time for the function when some of the chiefs were still yet to arrive at the durbar grounds.