Accra, July 4, GNA - Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister, on Friday called on the youth to ignore "unscrupulous elements" that are determined to create division among some ethnic groups. He described the tendency as "very dangerous for the country" and must be condemned by all well meaning Ghanaians. "We must see ourselves first as Ghanaians and not as people of different ethnic origins," Sheikh Quaye said when he formally opened the Fifth Regional Cultural Festival for Second Cycle Schools in the Greater Accra Region. The theme for the festival is: "Culture, an instrument for peace and unity."

Sheikh Quaye said "Ghanaians do things in a distinct way and in order not to lose our identity there is the need to protect and preserve our cultural heritage, which is rich in its diversity." He said the Ghana Education Service and the National Commission on Culture had been asked to intensify their effort to make teaching of culture an attractive and important subject that could sustain the interest of the youth. "As a progressive people it is important that our culture evolves in a way that will accelerate and not retard our development," he stated. The Minister noted that the youth, as future leaders, had no choice but to promote and advertise the country's culture wherever they were and whatever they did.

Mrs Vida Opoku, Ga District Director of Education, noted that culture was important in every nation's development and urged the youth to respect it by upholding the positive values such as the respect for the elderly and authority, hospitality to strangers and concern for the sick. "Personally, I advocate a situation where cultural awareness will be nationwide with an intensity similar to what is being done on the subject of HIV/AIDS. "My concern stems from the fact that our culture is being gradually obliterated especially by the invasion of Western culture, part of which has a pernicious influence on our society, particularly the youth." Participating groups drawn from the Tema, Ga, Dangme East and Dangme West districts and the Accra Metropolis are taking part in the festival.