Accra, April 27, GNA - Professor George Hagan, Chairman of the National Commission on Culture (NCC) has underscored the need to promote the development of culture because it would create the desired platform for an accelerated economic growth and wealth creation.

To this end, he has advised cultural officers to be proactive and work hard by devising and implementing measures and programmes that would promote the development of culture.

Prof. Hagan said this when he addressed regional directors of Centres of National Culture and District Cultural Officers drawn from the southern sector at a two-day workshop in Accra.

The workshop, under the theme: "Culture and Development", was a follow-up to a previous one held at Techiman for the Northern sector. Central, Eastern, Volta, Western and Greater Accra regions comprised the southern sector.

Prof Hagan reiterated that no nation could develop when her cultural values are relegated to the background.

He noted that most of the times, cultural officers were not brought into the mainstream of policy formulation at the districts, a situation, he said, retards progress because culture could never be separated from development.

Prof Hagan therefore challenged the officers to make themselves very relevant and be effective facilitators for change and progress at their respective districts.

He said the Commission would continue to provide resources to the various cultural centres in order to enhance their performance.