A new Governing Board has been inaugurated for the National Folklore Board with a call to help ensure that the country has protected folklore.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC), Mark Okraku Mantey, who inaugurated the board yesterday said the country needed protected folklore in order to help drive the country’s tourism and creative arts industry.
He was of the view that folklore played a key role in the promotion of the tourism and creative arts industry.
The nine-member board, chaired by Professor AbdulaiSalifuAsuro, has Madam Bernice Ann Deh-Kumah, Executive Director of National Folklore Board; Madam YaaAttafua, Copyright Administrator; Mr Enoch Yaw Oduro-Agyei; Mr Philip BoakyeDuaOyinka; Madam Amy Frimpong; Madam Joseph Ohene-Osei, and Madam Sarah NorkorAnku as members.
The National Folklore Board is a statutory body established and mandated under the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690) (the “Act”), to administer, register, promote and protect Ghanaian expressions of folklore on behalf of the President and for the people of Ghana.
“I agree that if we do not have a strong folklore or protected folklore, then what we want to use to drive culture will suffer. When culture suffers, it affects the creative industry,” Okraku Mantey said.
For him, the Ministry was committed to ensuring that the country had a protected folklore, saying that “if we are unable to build the foundation, which is folklore” the Ministry would not be able to achieve its targets.”
He observed that the board was very critical to helping to protect the country’s folklore and by extension, helping to transform the country’s tourism and creative arts industry.
Mr Okraku Mantey, therefore, challenged the new board to deliver their mandate as expected, to help drive the National Folklore Board into prosperity, saying “you didn’t just get here, it is because of what you are known for and what you’ve done over the years.”
The Board Chairman, Prof Asuro pledged the commitment of the board to help drive the National Folklore Board into prosperity.
For him, folklore was critical to the very survival of the country, calling on the Ministry to fast track the processes of getting the national folklore policy.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
