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Mr. Evans Opoku-Bobie, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister designate on Tuesday expressed disgust over the influx of foreign drama contents that have infiltrated and dominated television networks in the country.
The Regional Minister, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo North Constituency said something must be done to bring the situation under control, before the local drama industry collapsed.
Mr. Opoku-Bobie noted that translation of those foreign drama shows, aired virtually on all the local television channels and networks, purposely to ease understanding of their audience had worsened the situation.
He was interacting with Madam Janet Edna Nyame, the Executive Director of the National Commission on Culture (NCC) when she paid a courtesy call on him, as part of her two-day working visit to the Brong-Ahafo Region.
Mr. Opoku-Bobie said the infiltration and uncontrolled airing of these foreign theatre movies on local television channels undermined and adulterated the Ghanaian culture.
The Regional Minister said because such drama shows were also broadcast at peak hours, many children and students were addicted and stay long to watch them, a situation which is also affecting their studies.
That notwithstanding, he advised the Centre for National Culture (CNC) to be innovative and develop the creative art industry to make it “lovely and eye-catching”.
“If the Ghanaian culture, creative arts and the cinema sector is improved, it would become attractive for public viewing and enhance eco-tourism”, Mr. Opoku-Bobie added.
Mad. Nyame said the Commission had taken notice of the concerns, and assured that it would work on them to help bring about positive change.
She said the creative arts industry was capable of creating more jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country and appealed to the Regional Minister to intervene for the establishment of Culture Advisory Boards at the Municipal and District levels.
The Board would collaborate with and support the various offices of the CNC to initiate and implement programmes that would promote and deepen the country’s culture.
Mad. Nyame said the NCC was determined to ensure that construction works on some regional theatre projects which had been stalled because of lack of funding would start and appealed to corporate bodies and philanthropists to support the CNC.
She said the government was committed to complete all those theatres, and added that private sector investors who were interested to partner with the CNC were welcomed.
Source: GNA
