Following a promise by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mohammed Awal to the people of the Western Region to witness a major facelift of the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Takoradi within a year which was due on June 5, 2022, the Creative Arts Players in Western Region went mad at the Minister for a broken promise.
Defending the broken promise by her sector Minister, the Executive Director for National Commission on Culture, Janet Edna Nyame has said that the Minister is committed to the promise and further promised the people of Takoradi that, in the next two months, there will be major works on the facility which has been deserted for over 30 years.
Madam Nyame who is from the Western Region mentioned that, she feels quite embarrassed anytime the issue of the CNC comes up, especially when the Takoradi branch is mentioned because as someone who heads the sector, her region should have been the first to witness the best of CNCs in Ghana.
Madam Nyame says there will be major works on the Takoradi CNC in the next 2 months. Answering why the delay in the renovation, the Executive Director said it dates back to history. According to her, the National Commission on Culture was an autonomous body until the creation of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture when it was made an agency of the Ministry.
“It was initially under the presidency and was autonomous, we had budget to implement our policies and other projects but it’s now been aligned to Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture so we have to look up to them for budget and other approvals.” Madam Nyame mentioned.
“CNC was built in all the previous 10 regions in Ghana. Apart from Cape Coast, Greater Accra and Kumasi, the rest have not been completed. Since the commission now is under the ministry, all the previous Ministers of the sector have tried to finish the centers but face challenges. During the tenure of Catherine Afeku, the national festival for arts and culture was held in Eastern Region so some work was done there. Aside that, none of the CNCs have witnessed any renovationso it is not Western Region alone” Madam Edna Nyame intimated.
“Awal Mohammed has promised to finish at least two of the centers before he leaves office. He mentioned Western Region and Northern Region so he is committed to his promise to the people of Western Region. He has not abandoned the promise even though it has delayed” Madam Nyame added.
“AESL who are the consultants have given us the budget and roadmap to the completion of the CNCs. Maximum two months, you’ll see works on the CNC in Takoradi,” she promised in an interview on Empire FM with Feeling Daddy which was monitored by The Chronicle.
