The challenge, he said, was undermining the Centre’s efforts towards developing the creativity of the people. Mr. Dagbee announced this at the Regional Cultural and Arts Festival held in Wa, as part of preparations towards the National Cultural and Arts Festival next month.

The event was under the theme: “Promoting a culture of peace for national unity and socio-economic empowerment”. It aimed to ensure unity among the people for sustainable socio-economic development. He appealed to the Government, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to act swiftly and provide the Centre with a theatre complex.

Mr. Dagbee observed that there was no better way of ensuring that the people lived in peace than bringing them together to share their cultural values and beliefs. “Every culture is characterised by unique beliefs and values and there is the need to bring the people together to celebrate their cultures to ensure unity in diversity,” he said.

“May this festival reignite the flames of our dying cultures because a group of people without culture is one that is dying. Therefore, if we are not to die as a people we must keep our culture alive”. Mr. Dagbee appealed the people not to engage in any act of innuendo, insults or composition of provocative songs against their political opponents because that could mar the hard won peace Ghana was enjoying now.

Dr. Mohammed Mushiebu Alfa, the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, appealed to the people to jealously safeguard the prevailing peace in the country, while reminding them that peace was the only ingredient that bound the people more together. He said culture was one of the major definers of peace and that sustained peace could not prevail in Ghana if there was no unity among the various cultures.

“If we all observe our cultural values and norms to the latter, Ghana will continue to enjoy the prevailing peace, which is a prerequisite for socio-economic development”, Dr Mushiebu noted.  The Deputy Regional Minister urged the people to resort to the rule of law and the use of dialogue as well as the law court to settle electoral disputes.

Dr Mushiebu urged the public to patronise made in Ghana products as well as tourist sites, such as the Wa Naa’s Palace, Wichiau Hippo Sanctuary to promote local tourism for economic development.  Traditional rulers, heads of departments, municipal and district chief executives, and students as well as cultural troops from all the 11 districts of the Region, among other people, attended the forum.