Dr Alex Wilson, a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Sunday stressed the need for Ghanaians especially the youth to hold in high esteem the nation’s cultural and traditional values.

He said it was time for Africans, especially Ghanaians, to desist from copying blindly from Western culture, stressing that, before the Whiteman came, Africans had their cultural practices that kept families and communities together and that the culture of every nation was its identity.

Dr Wilson who said these at the handing over ceremony of The African Studies Students Association (AFSSA) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), in Cape Coast; pointed out that if care was not taken in the near future, the current generation would know very little about their traditional values and customs.

He said it was time for Africans to trace and maintain their cultural values which he noted were unique in every sense and that it was imperative for Ghanaians to unite as one people with one culture to enable them to project the nation.

Mr Ebo Barton Oduro, Member of Parliament for Cape Coast in a speech read for him, said, Africa had great cultural values that needed to be protected citing as regrettable the speed at which Western culture was fast eroding African culture in the name of modernization and globalization.

He commended the students for forming such an Association and urged them to ensure that Ghanaian cultural values and traditions were sustained and observed.

Mr Robert Abeiku Ansah, outgoing President of the Association said, in the past five years of its existence, the Association had been able to create its own website and had maintained cordial relations with the media.

He said despite its successes, the Association was still challenged with the issue of members' lack of interest in its activities and inadequate funds, and called on the incoming executives to perform their duties without fear or favour so as to uplift the name of the Association.

The new executives comprising Mr. Awidom Leonard Louis, President, Kyei Sekyi Prisea, Vice President, Ofori Ansong Irene, secretary, Owusu Adomako Justice, Treasurer, Girentsi Bismark, Financial Secretary, Eshun Benjamin, P.R.O, Owusu Regina, Organiser and Kubgadzor Courage, Deputy Organiser, were sworn into office.

Mr. Awidom expressed his gratitude to the head of Departments, senior members, Administrative Staff, out –going executives and all the members for the confidence reposed in them and promised that, they would perform their duties diligently.

He underscored the importance of African Studies to the development of Ghana and the African continent as a whole, and stressed that, the knowledge acquired from such studies be directed at solving the problems facing the continent in an African-oriented perspective.

He pledged to promote the academic and social welfare of members and also accept the challenge to run the affairs of the association to be an enviable one on campus and also make it more pragmatic.**