The northern regional Director for Center for National Culture, CNC, Abubakari Iddrisu Sadik has called on government to support it with enough funds to enable the center function properly.
According to him, the CNC which is under the ministry of tourism for some time now has not received money from the government making it difficult for staff to perform administrative duties effectively.
He said ‘’if we are not adequately financed we will not be able to execute our functions the way we would’ve want to executive them, even for some years now the center did not receive anything from government of Ghana’’.
He said the center relies heavily on the Internally Generated Funds gathered by the facility to enable the smooth running of it. ‘’It is the IGF we generate that helps us pay for electricity and other services’’.
The Center for National Culture which was established to develop, preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the people of north the Director noted do not have enough vehicles to embark on outreach programs. ‘’We don’t have proper means of transport, we are supposed to be mobile because the work of a cultural officer is not a desk job, most of our work are supposed to be in the field if you want to change the attitude and mindset of people, we have to reach them’’, he indicates.
He mentioned that the edifice offices leak anytime it rains, and the grounds become pools of water making the environment not conducive for administrative work. The Director said; ‘’the edifice is not conducive for proper theatrical performances and administrative works’’. The Director made these known to Zaa news during a visit to the center. Mr Sadik further called on investors to make use of the space available at the premises of the center by putting up businesses which will in turn rake in more revenue for the center.
‘’We are calling on investors to come and make use of the space in the premises so that CNC will benefit as well as the government’’, he said. He however wants government to equip the edifice to a modern standard to the benefit for all.
BACK GROUND
The Center for National Culture was started with the establishment of the Institute of Arts and Culture in 1961 by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Its name was changed to the Arts Council of Ghana in 1973 and again renamed the Center for National Culture by the promulgation of PDNC Law 238 of 1990. It was established to develop, preserve, and promote the cultural heritage of the people of the north and the country as a whole.
By: Lilian D.Walter/zaanews/Ghana
