Basic School Arts Festival ends at Dormaa

Dormaa (B/A) Aug. 23, GNA - The 10th Brong-Ahafo Regional basic schools festival of arts has been held at Dormaa Ahenkro under the theme, "Eradicating Ethnocentrism Through Our Unique Cultural Practices".

The three-day festival brought together all to contest in choral music, poetry recital, drum language, sight singing, dance and an exhibition to showcase the unique cultures of the various districts. Participating schools treated the audience to 'Konkoma', Adaekete, Kpalongo and Damba, Sekyere, Yala, Adowa and Boborbor, among others.

Techiman Municipality emerged the overall best in all the disciplines with Kintampo North District and Sunyani Municipality following as first and second runners-up respectively. Mrs. Akua Debrah, Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of Education, noted that ethnocentrism had spread inferiority complex among Ghanaians rendering most cultural values untapped.

She deplored negative statements and vulgar language often used openly by some ethnic groups to demean others.

The regional director attributed the escalating inferiority complex and lackadaisical attitude of some Ghanaians towards free socialisation to negative ethnic tendencies and enjoined traditional authorities, opinion leaders and the youth to help change the trend. Mrs Debrah reminded stakeholders in the protection of the nation's culture to collectively provide congenial atmosphere for the youth to acquire formal education upon which the modification and survival of Ghana's unique cultures depend.

The Queenmother of Dormaa Traditional Council, Nana Akosua Frema Dwaben, deplored the craze among the youth to adopt foreign cultures to the detriment of their own traditional ways of living. Nana Frema described as "unacceptable, the outrageous manner the youth of today dress, walk and keep their hair"; practices she said "found their way into our culture through foreign films, music and sports".

She recommended the revival of traditions, including puberty rites, which, she said would help curb social vices and protect the youth against sexually transmitted diseases.

Mr. Eric Atakorah, Regional Cultural Coordinator, commended the government for introducing the capitation grants for schools, which, he said, had provided the financial requirements to resume the festival. "One cardinal objective of my office is to erase the enormous impression that anything African is unholy", he said and explained that the colonial masters in their desire to indoctrinate the African used labels such as 'fetish' and 'juju'.

The Abakumahene of Dormaa Traditional Council, Baffour Kofi Frempong, who presided, lauded the organisers for reviving the festivals, which, he said would provide the necessary tonic for youth discipline.

He added his voice to the cry against indecent dressing by the youth, with particular reference to the 'Otto Pfister' among boys and 'I am aware' and 'show your stomach' of the girls.