Mr. Joseph Adjei, the Acting Eastern Regional Director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), has called on Ghanaians to uphold their cultural heritage, emphasizing its crucial role in societal development.
Speaking at the culmination of GBC Sunrise FM’s Heritage Month celebration in Koforidua, Mr. Adjei highlighted that embracing Ghanaian traditions fosters a distinct identity and warned that neglecting these customs could weaken the nation’s cultural foundation.
This year’s Heritage Month theme, “Ninety Years of Upholding Our Cultural Heritage,” celebrated GBC’s dedication to preserving and promoting Ghanaian traditions over the past nine decades. Mr. Adjei underscored GBC’s commitment to protecting traditional values, languages, customs, and historical narratives through media and public engagement.
He also advocated for the revitalization of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) to bolster cultural preservation efforts in the face of growing foreign cultural influences.
The event included free health screenings from professionals at St. Joseph Orthopedic Hospital, along with vibrant cultural performances from the Centre for National Culture. One of the highlights of the celebration was a cooking competition featuring five institutions: GBC Sunrise FM, St. Joseph Orthopedic Hospital, Koforidua Prisons Service, Koforidua Fire Service, and the Eastern Regional Centre for National Culture.
GBC Sunrise FM emerged victorious in the competition, with Koforidua Fire Service securing the first runner-up spot. St. Joseph Orthopedic Hospital placed third, while Koforidua Prisons Service and the Eastern Regional Centre for National Culture finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Madam Dorcas Salamatu Alhassan, Eastern Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture, emphasized that cultural promotion should extend beyond just Heritage Month. She urged Ghanaians to embrace indigenous food, dress, and languages as essential components of their identity and to pass these traditions on to future generations.
Reverend Kennedy Tsamah, Head of Human Resources at the New Juaben North Municipal Education Directorate, echoed these thoughts, stressing the importance of integrating Ghanaian cultural studies into the national education curriculum so students can better appreciate and preserve their heritage.