Cape Coast, July 14, GNA- The Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam district on Friday bagged 23 points to emerge the over all best district in the Central Regional basic schools cultural festival competition held in Cape Coast.

They took the first positions in choral music and drum language, second in poetry recital and third in dance drama and sight singing and were presented with certificates and plaques. Gomoa and Twifo-Heman-Lower-Denkyira districts came second and third with 28 and 29 points respectively.

Asikuma and Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) came fourth and fifth with 32 and 43 points respectively; while Assin North and Agona at 47 points each to tie for the sixth position.

Mfantsiman and Cape Coast had the eighth and ninth positions with 48 and 49 points respectively, whiles Assin South and Abura-Asebu-Kwamankesse (AAK) had 50 and 52 points to get the 10th and 11th positions respectively with Dunkwa-On-Offin bagging 53 points to get the 12th position and Awutu-Effutu-Senya (AES) had the 13th position with 71 points.

All the 13 districts in the region participated in choral music, sight singing, poetry recital, drum language, dance drama and vocational skills.

In all Ajumako received six trophies, Gomoa three, Twifo Praso, Dunkwa-On-Offin, and Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa had two each, whiles Assin North and South, AAK, KEEA had a trophy each with Cape Coast, Mfantsiman, AES and Agona districts not receiving any trophy. Addressing the pupils, Professor Awusabo-Asare, Dean faculty of social sciences of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) underscored the importance of culture in the socio-economic development of the nation and stressed the need for the various ethnic groups to build on their cultural practices and do away with those that are inimical to the society.

He said culture does not only entail drumming and dancing, but things like the kind of food people eat and clothes they wear in addition to their norms, values and beliefs and stressed the need for the society to uphold and protect their cultural values, norms and beliefs to enhance development.

He called on teachers to critically study the various cultures in the country, this, he noted, would enable them to impact effectively and efficiently on the youth and that it was important for people to study culture since it allows them to learn new things.

Ms. Rosemond Blay, Central Regional Director of education for her part, said the theme for the festival, "culture a tool for peaceful co-existence" was appropriate and relevant to the present day situation and stressed that without peace, there would be chaos and conflicts as evidenced in some parts of the world, which she pointed out that some could emanate from cultural differences.

She said the nation has, over the years enjoyed and continue to enjoy relative peace due to its adherence to cultural values in spite of the ethnic diversity, "our way of dressing, respect for the elderly, concern or others, tolerance and desire to succeed in whatever endeavour we find ourselves in, are deeply rooted in our culture".

He told the pupils that as much as they engage in cultural performances in school, they must also take their academic studies seriously because the two cannot be separated.