Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, the CEO of Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, says strategic attention must be given to cultural education, ennoblement and national identity as part of the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.
He described the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda as a bold step launched by the government, which draws attention to the country’s sovereignty, respect and confidence to ensure a self-sustained nation and must, therefore, be supported by all Ghanaians.
“In doing that Ghanaians must not be ashamed of our cultural identity and uniqueness in our engagement with other nations and their cultures and we must value ours first to enhance our outlook on others,” he said.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Rev. Opuni-Frimpong who referred to the LGBTQ issues in the country, pointed out that as a people, “We must understand and appreciate our own ways of doing things in order not to miss the values and intents in them for the benefits of development”.
He mentioned some cultural values in the sense of procreation as akin to foreign cultures and values in the context of LGBTQ, which young people must not lose sight of in their quest to adapt to certain cultures and systems.
“Yes if we want to maintain our stand against some foreign cultures, which values are inimical to ours, we may hurt our international partners and will pay a price for it, but with determination and projection of our own sense of pride and confidence, we will come out successfully and strong.”
The former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana observed that Ghanaians were fast losing some societal values, which had been the bedrock of discipline and morality over the years and cited the example of the craze of parents using the English language to communicate to their children from childbirth as against the use of the mother tongue.
But research has shown that the mother tongue was the best cultural identity and respect.
“Again, the preference of western dressing as against our traditional wears and many other ‘made in Ghana products’,” he said, and indicated that there was the need for a national effort to re-orient the minds of young people.
He was optimistic that, “We could stand with the sense of pride and confidence as people with sovereignty to bargain for what we want and endeavour to work at it, no matter how long it would take”.