'Burkina Faso In Ghana' - Kumasi and Ouagadougou integrate to Celebrate Culture

The Ashanti Region have integrated with Ouagadougou to celebrate friendship through Culture at the Kumasi Cultural Center on Friday, 6 September 2019.

The second edition of the programme themed, “Burkina Faso in Ghana” was aimed at promoting regional integration between the two countries, that is, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The two neighboring countries in West Africa have cooperated among each other judging from their current states of relationships and their coming together to exhibit each's cultural background was a greater step to promote national unity.

The ceremony hosted dignitaries from both regions including the Mayor of Kumasi, Hon. Osei Asibey Antwi, Mr. Harouna Kabore, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Handicraft and Mr. Armand Roland, the Mayor of Ouagadougou. Among others were the Dagaba, the Bisanga and the Wangara chiefs together with their people to empower the movement of the initiative.

Various cultural practices of the two countries were showcased on the grounds of the meeting as the various dignitaries revealed their speech to address the occasion.

The Mayor of Kumasi, Hon. Osei Assibey in his speech defined the grounds of Kumasi as a home for visitors including the Burkinabes. He revealed that the integration program was a welcome ceremony for the West African counterparts who are not strangers on the land.

“We don’t see them as visitors, we see them as our brothers and sisters. We’ve been with them for years. Some have been in this country for more than 100 years so we can’t call them foreigners. They are our brother and sisters and it is indeed a great privilege to be with them,” he said.

He further confirmed that the huge Burkina community in the Ashanti Region is a symbol that both nations have a strong connection, which cuts across areas such as Education, Agriculture, Health and the field of sports and more importantly, in the area of Trade and Investment.

“This (areas) has contributed positively in improving the welfare of citizenry in both Kumasi and Burkina Faso. this relationship has also been re-affirmed currently by our various governments,” he added.

According to Diene Ziekah Somda, the promoter of the event, the programme was arranged to inform Africans and the world at large that Ghana and Burkina Faso are one people therefore it was needful to come together and celebrate. She educated the youth on the need to embrace culture for it is the definition of one’s foundation.

“Culture cannot be done without in this world so to those who underrate culture, my message will be, you cannot do without culture. If you do without your culture, the n you are a nobody,” she said.

Mrs. Diene condemned the xenophobic attacks on other African residents in South Africa and called for unity and solidarity to prevail between them.

“It is rather unfortunate that our fellow brothers and sister have been attacked in South Africa. Years ago, we united to fight the whites because of racism due to the apartheid that was happening in South Africa and today, those same Blacks turn against our brothers saying that you are taking our jobs is so unfortunate”

"Yesterday you were brothers and today you have become enemies, it just doesn’t make sense. If anyway they can hear this message which will have an impact, it is to say let’s always be together,” she added.

She promised that the programme will continue next year to educate and bind Ghana and Burkina Faso together in harmony.