Sekondi (Western Region) -- The 10th edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) opened at the Sekondi Methodist Park with a grand durbar of chiefs and people from all the country's 10 regions.

The 10-day festival is under the theme: " Culture, Development and Ghanaian Identity".

The chiefs, who were dressed in rich kente cloths, velvet, smocks and flowing gowns and adorned with gold ornaments and expensive beads around their necks, elbows, wrists and ankles, they walked gorgeously from the Western Regional House of Chiefs through the principal streets of Sekondi to the durbar grounds.

The Paramount chiefs were carried in palanquins, while the divisional chiefs walked amid drumming, dancing and firing of musketry.

The festival, scheduled for last year, had to be postponed on two occasions due to lack of funds to complete the Western Regional Culture Theatre to host the festival.

The official opening of the festival that would portray the rich cultural heritage of Ghana, drumming, dancing, poetry recitals and other cultural activities, originally scheduled for 1000 hours was delayed until 1600 hours.

This was due to another official assignment of President John Agyekum Kufuor, who attended the burial service, burial and final funeral rites of Mr. Emmanuel Acheampong, former Member of Parliament for Gomoa East who died in a motor accident this year.

The burial service was held at Gomoa Nyayano and the burial took place at at Gomoa Fetteh.