• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Citi TV
Monday, May 29, 2023
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Coronavirus
  • Infographics
  • Livestream
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Coronavirus
  • Infographics
  • Livestream
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
No Result
View All Result

Kwame Dadzie writes: Replace independence parade with NAFAC, other relevant activities

Kwame DadziebyKwame Dadzie
March 8, 2021
Reading Time: 3 mins read
ShareShareShareShare

For the past years, a lot of people have mooted the idea that the independence parade that characterizes our annual independence celebration should be scrapped.

This year’s cancellation of the parade as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and its untold scourge on people has invoked the thought again.

I feel that COVID-19 is drumming home the need for us to really rethink how we celebrate this important milestone in our lives as Ghanaians.

Since independence in 1957, these independence celebrations have been marked with parades (march past) firing of guns, the lighting of flames, and the delivering of speeches.

These have arguably not yielded any impact on the people of Ghana, apart from seeing school children collapse during the parades while marching in the hot sun.

I suggest that, even after coronavirus, this parade be totally scrapped, replaced with the National Festival of Arts and Culture, and other impactful activities.

For a couple of years now, critics have asserted that NAFAC has lost its verve and have therefore called on the government to make sure it becomes more vibrant and attractive.

In 2018, for instance, NAFAC was called off after it was announced that it would be held in Koforidua. It was rather held the following year.

What is NAFAC?

The National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) is a biennial event that offers a common platform for all sixteen (16) regions of Ghana to display their rich culture and traditions. The festival promotes arts, culture, and tourism as different people get to display their cultures and crafts during the festival.

The event is organised by the National Commission on Culture (NCC), which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC).

NAFAC was established in 1961 by the late Dr. Alexander Atta Yaw Kyerematen, the founder and the first Director of the Ghana National Cultural Centre now the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi.

His main objective was to create a common platform for people in the arts and culture sector to perform and exhibit their works.

In 1966, the Institute of Arts and Culture and the United States Embassy came together to hold the GHANA ARTS FESTIVAL which opened on 25th January 1967 in Accra.

As part of the second Ghana International Trade Fair in 1971, it was brought back.

It was also geared towards cementing the cultural basis of the country’s development as a nation as well as providing a forum to appraise the work of the Ghanaian society and the celebration of its achievements.

The event at the national level was preceded by District and Regional festivals. The purpose of the District and Regional festivals was to promote grassroots participation to unearth talents and inventions that will represent the regions at the National Festival.

Why NAFAC should replace independence parade

In my view, the independence parade has never benefitted us in any way. It rather celebrates the colonial strife we went through as a people.

In place of this, we can make NAFAC an annual celebration and move it to 6th March which is Independence Day.

So, instead of lining up school children and other artisans under the scorching sun to march and listen to rehearsed speeches, let us put together activities that will help promote our arts, culture, and tourism.

At the regional, district, and community levels, there can be art exhibitions, drama themed on our heritage and unity. We can also have competitions on film making, music, poetry and dance, from our schools to the communities.

By organizing sight-seeing for schools and communities, we will be promoting domestic tourism.

A three-day independence celebration can be instituted, so that on the final day which is 6th March, we climax the whole celebration with the major activities.

At the national level, a big concert for our musicians can be held on the last day of the celebration. By so doing, we will be giving people that opportunity to market their craft, Made in Ghana goods and services, our music, and tourism.

Apart from the Year of Return and the Beyond the Return programmes, this is another rich avenue to drive people into our country to see our culture, watch and listen to our story and patronize our tourist sites. No one will come here to watch school children and security personnel match in the sun!

May coronavirus leave us, but may independence parade never come back to us.

Editor’s Note: Kwame Dadzie is an entertainment journalist who works with Citi FM, Citi TV, and citinewsroom.com. He’s also the Public Relations Officer of the Arts and Tourism Writers Association of Ghana (ATWAG)

ShareTweetSendSend
Previous Post

Reopening for SHS first years rescheduled to March 18

Next Post

Fault on transmission line between Prestea and Obuasi caused power cuts – GRIDCo

Related Posts

Showbiz

MUSIC REVIEW: Demystifying the ‘mystery box’ in Black Sherif’s ‘Soja’

September 26, 2022
News

Awal Mohammed promises to revive National Festival of Arts and Culture

February 25, 2021
Showbiz

‘Til Shiloh’ marks a turning point in my music career – Buju Banton

December 21, 2020
Opinion

Kwame Dadzie writes: Five critical changes organisers of VGMA must make

September 2, 2020
News

Kwame Dadzie writes: Flipping through the journey of Voice Factory Season 4

September 9, 2019
Music

Kwame Dadzie writes: Are albums still relevant in today’s music business?

August 23, 2019
Next Post

Fault on transmission line between Prestea and Obuasi caused power cuts - GRIDCo

TOP STORIES

Govt keeps COVID-19 levy despite calls for removal

May 28, 2023

Running to IMF for bailout was a painful decision – Nana Addo

May 28, 2023

Akufo-Addo’s address on end of Covid-19 emergency and IMF programme [Full text]

May 28, 2023
Load More
ADVERTISEMENT
Citinewsroom – Comprehensive News in Ghana

CitiNewsroom.com is Ghana's leading news website that delivers high quality innovative, alternative news that challenges the status quo.

Archives

Download App

Download

Download

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Citi TV

© 2021 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Coronavirus
  • Infographics
  • Livestream
  • Videos

© 2021 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT