Quite recently, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts announced that it has a programme for the rehabilitation of all the centres for national culture in the country. This is indeed welcome news for experts in cultural and for that matter, lovers and enthusiasts of theatre in the country.
This is because when these centres for national cultural are rehabilitated, it will go a long way to promote cultural and theatrical activities in the country; and this situation will definitely promote and enhance theatre practice and its psyche in the country to accelerate the pace of the development programme that the NPP government has for the people of Ghana as theartre is the bedrock or panacea for any realistic development anywhere in the world in the past, present, and in the future!
It is obvious from this rehabilitation programme planned by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts that the NPP government under the leadership of his Excellency President Akuffo Addo is determined to move the country forward in the development; and for this reason, the rehabilitation programme should be carried out to the letter as soon as possible. Ghana stands to benefit immensely from the exploitation, promotion and development of her culture and for that matter, theatre, as the Chinese, the U.S. and other highly developed countries had been doing and are still doing now with culture and theatre, In order for the rehabilitation programme to succeed and have positive impact, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts should open its doors wide to allow the participation of other formi- dable and established stakeholders
on culture such as UNESCO, Ford Foundation etc.
The rehabilitation of the centres for national culture in the country should not be an end in itself, but it should be followed up with effi- cient equipment in terms of logis- tics and human resource to make the cultural centres to become busy and vibrant with theatrical activities such as play productions, musical concerts, dance, dance dramas etc.
If the centres for national culture do not function in this way after the rehabilitation exercise, then their rehabilitatin will become a waste as for as their rule in the development agenda of the country is concerned. To avoid this unpleasant situation happening, the Ministry should do the appropriate consultations with the right authorities to find feasible and practical strategies for the implementation of this all important programme in the inter- est and benefit of the country.
Culture and for that matter, the- atre and its psyche, had been taken for granted for far too long in this country; and this has resulted into the present state of lack of any realistic development since. The attainment of independence in 1957. Had succeeding governments carried the momentum and enthusiasm which the first president of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah started with culture and theatre, before his overthrow by the military on 24th February 1966.
Ghana would have been among the middle devel- oped countries such as Singapore, Malaysia etc or even above these countries by now! I am highly optimistic and of the opinion that the NPP gov- ernment has the nation at heart and is committed to do all that is possible to see that Ghana makes significant strides now in her on- ward march towards progress and development; and for this reason, the rehabilitation of all the centres for national culture in the country should be seen as the launch pad of the big deal that the govern- ment has for the promotion and development of culture, and for that matter, theatre and its psyche in the country.
On the basis of the commitment that the NPP government has for the fast development of the country, I assume that it has more to offer in the area of culture and theatre to ensure the realization of its total development agenda for the country. It is indeed significant and the first step in the right direction, and this puts the government in the right track. There is more expectation from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts to demonstrate further, how the government values culture and theatre in the efforts to develop the country fast.
BY MICHAEL AKENOO
