The First Lady Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills, on Wednesday advised the youth to jealously treasure the African cultural identity, which espoused mutual respect, knowledge and peace as tools for self development.
“Without true knowledge of one’s self, one’s past and one’s valuable contributions to the world…then and now, it makes it difficult to move forward,” she stressed.
Mrs Naadu Mills was speaking at a forum organised by Akoma Ntoaso Cultural Centre (ANCC), a bible-based private organisation which is subsidiary to Oiada International (OI), in Accra.
Speaking at a video conference with three guests selected from US, Mrs Naadu Mills reminded the youth to safeguard traditional values such as respect for elders and peers and to take advantage of secular education to catapult them to development.
“Treasure your education, honour your teachers and elders, respect your peers and take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to you and see where it takes you.”
Mrs Naadu Mills extolled the contributions made by Africans in the field of mathematics, Science, arts and sports.
“With the unifying of history and knowledge shared among our youth, we cannot help but launch into the future with higher ideas and higher inspiration to the achievement of new heights not seen before.”
She applauded the musical ministration of ANCC and urged them to continue making positive impact on the society through their activities.
OI is a non-profit organisation that was established in 1997 in the US to provide services to encourage appreciation of African culture and history.
Its subsidiary, the ANCC, currently connects students in the US and some African countries by utilising the organisation’s tele-presence cultural centres to become global citizens.
Mr Ebow Yawson, Director of the ANCC, told the Ghana News Agency that his outfit was founded and funded by the members.