The Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of Gobtensed Kente Limited, a Kente weaving industry, Torgbui Gobah Tengey Seddoh has called on the government to patent the Kente cloth and its designs to curb it from being plagiarised.
According to Torgbui Tengey, foreigners had plagiarised kente designs thereby producing inferior products which had flooded the Ghanaian market.
He was speaking at the celebration of his 78th birthday and the launch of his book on Kente in Accra yesterday.
The book titled ‘Kete/Kente a priceless gem of Ghana’ is a 65 paged book which talks about the history of cloth, how it is weaved, various designs of the cloth both Ashanti and Ewe as well as names of the Kente cloth.
Torgbui Tengey said “itis important to preserve what our forefathers left us. It is our heritage and we should not let anyone take it away from us.”
He called on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the Kente cloth was preserved for the next generation.
An academic and filmmaker, Nii Kwate Owoo said both Ewe and Akan versions of the Kente had to be documented.
He encouraged Ghanaians to patronise and wear fabrics made in Ghana adding that “ourfabrics are our identity and we have to wear it to tell the world who we are.”
At the event, Torgbui demonstrated how the Kente was weaved in the loom and exhibited his products.
The first copy of the book was sold at GH₵3,000.
BY JEMIMA ESINAM KUATSINU