Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture launches 5-year strategic plan
The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture has launched a five-year plan to to help achieve its sectoral goals from 2011 to 2015.
The strategic plan would assist the Ministry to secure the required prominence that reflects the significance of culture and chieftaincy in the scheme of governance and development programmes.
Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture said this at the meet-the-press series organized in Accra on Thursday to highlight achievements and challenges of the Ministry.
He said the plan would also improve co-ordination among the various agencies and institutions in the sector, including harmonization of the different legal frameworks and roles and functions among the various stakeholders.
“It will also improve functional effectiveness through enhanced human capacity infrastructure, networking and partnerships as well as improved knowledge management,” he said.
Mr Asum-Ahensah said the major challenge anticipated was funding for the implementation of the programme. However, the Ministry is poised to liaise with stakeholders, particularly the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, to mobilize funds from other sources to support the implementation.
He said despite the numerous challenges, the Ministry was determined to collaborate with other Ministries and Non-governmental organizations to implement its strategic plan to ensure that culture lives up to the expectation of being the bedrock of development in Ghana.
On preserving the country’s cultural heritage, the Minister said plans are initiated to renovate Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Limousine to attract tourists and mobilize enough revenue to maintain the Memorial Park.
He said the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park recorded a total of 97,010 visitors of which 47,884 were Ghanaians and 31,126 non Ghanaians as against 51,599 for last year.
Mr Asum-Ahensah announced that a total of 12,441 Ghana Cedis from the park’s internally generated fund was spent in rehabilitating seven statures of the “Horn Blowers” in the big pond.
“Walk ways have also been constructed at the park. This is aimed at making the facility accessible to the physically challenged,” he added.
On Chieftaincy, the Minister said they would continue to with research into lines of succession in 30 Traditional areas.
He said the research report would form the basis of draft legislation on lines of succession for Parliamentary approval.
He said that would lead to the reduction in chieftaincy related disputes in the country.
Mr Asum-Ahensah said disputes in that sector continued to be a huge challenge to the Ministry.
He said in line with the Constitutional provision of non interference in Chieftaincy matters, the onus of resolution of these disputes largely fell on the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs through the judicial committees to settle those disputes.
He said government, however provided the necessary financial and logistical support to the various Houses of Chiefs in the resolution of those disputes.
The Minister said during the year under review various Houses of Chiefs had settled 340 cases through the alternative dispute resolution.
Mr Asum-Ahensah said the Judicial Committee of the National and the 10 Regional Houses of Chiefs adjudicated and disposed off 29 Chieftaincy disputes out of 309 cases brought before the various houses.
He announced that next year marks the 20th anniversary of the National Theatre and preparations were underway to re-brand the Theatre as “The Centre of Artistic Excellence: The premier venue for the celebration of Indigenous Ghanaian/African creative Ingenuity and other special events”.
He said in connection with the anniversary, the National Theatre of Ghana planned to institute an Annual Theatre Season to feature Works, Music, Drama and Dance.
Source: GNA