Lawra, July 19, GNA - Mr. Sampson Assibi Abu, Lawra District Chief Executive, has called on Ghanaians to use arts and cultural activities to unite the people from different communities to ensure peace for development.

He, therefore, appealed to traditional authorities to re-examine aspects of their cultural practices and use them to arbitrate and unite the people rather than seeking justice from the law courts.

Mr. Abu made the call in a speech, read on his behalf, at the closing session of the Eight Upper West Regional Inter-Senior High Schools Festival of Arts and Culture, held at Lawra.

He observed that the adoption of foreign cultural practices, especially those used in adjudication, accounted for the numerous disputes and conflict situations in the country.

Mr. Abu noted that arts and culture were indispensable elements in every society and that no society could survive without them.

"If for some reason the youth of today fail to adopt the culture of their people, then their cultural heritage is doomed and no nation or society will want her culture to be tampered with," he said.

Mr. Abu cautioned the students about the dangers of drug abuse, alcoholism and the smoking of Indian Hemp, as well premarital sex, some of which, he said, were the causes of indiscipline among the youth.

He urged the students to take their Arts and Cultural Studies seriously because there were laws put in place to protect individual creative works.