Ahafo Union of Dagomba chiefs has called for the promotion of wearing of smock, to attract tourists, to enable earn more foreign exchange.
The chiefs, therefore, urged the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), to organise smock exhibitions, to showcase the traditional dress.
Shaike Abdullah Ibn Chambers, the Kpihigu Naa, on behalf of the chiefs, said smock from Dagomba and other northern communities have created employment throughout the value chain.
He said that if Ghana’s smock is promoted abroad alongside other traditional cloths and rich culture, it would create a reliable source of revenue for the country.
Shaike Chambers made the call at the celebration of the first Smock Day and launch of Dagomba Union of Ahafo (DUA), at Goaso, on the theme: “the need for sustainable peaceful co – existence among Dagombas and other tribes in Ahafo region.”
The smock Day and DUA was instituted by the Dagomba community in the Ahafo region, to showcase the culture of Dagombas, including the wearing of smock.
Shaike Chambers said that there was the need to pass on history of forefathers from one generation to another, adding “without history, your past is bleak and your future is unknown”.
He appealed to Ghanaians to support the DUA, to make the annual Smock Day celebration, a national festival.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asutifi South Constituency, Alhaji Collins Dauda, commended the Dagomba community in the area, for the initiative to showcase their tradition to the rest of the world.
He eulogised the late former President Jerry John Rawlings for spearheading the promotion of smock on both local and international platforms, saying “together we can revamp the smock industry in the country”.
Alhaji Dauda asked parents and guardians to train children in accordance with the country’s cultural values.
The President of the Dagomba Union of Ahafo, Mr Ilyasu Umar, on behalf of the new executives, thanked the chiefs, elders, members and other stakeholders for reposing trust in them to serve.
He called for unity and peace towards development among the people, saying “we can use our different culture and traditions to develop our communities.”
The Paramount chief of Goaso Traditional Council (GTC), Nana Kwasi Bosomprah I, , who swore in new executives of the Dagomba Union Association, commended the Dagomba council of chiefs in the region for promoting culture.
FROM EMMANUEL ADU GYAMFI, GOASO
