Let us not lose our cultural identity in the name of Modernity – Cultural enthusiast warns
Aborah cautioned against the abandonment of key cultural practices, particularly the traditional payment of bride price, in favor of simplified, monetized alternatives.
A cultural enthusiast and teacher in the Kassena Nankana Municipality, Jonathan Aborah, has expressed concern over the growing erosion of traditional values in the name of modernity.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Thursday, August 7, Aborah cautioned against the abandonment of key cultural practices, particularly the traditional payment of bride price, in favor of simplified, monetized alternatives.
“We are actually losing our cultural identity, our culture is our pride; it is what identifies us as a people. In payment of bride price, some people now come and say, ‘quantify the cola, tobacco, and the rest and let me pay money.’
According to him, the increasing preference for replacing symbolic traditional items with cash not only diminishes the essence of such customs but threatens their existence.
“When we want to modernize marriage now and say let’s replace some of these items with money, we are actually losing our culture.” He stressed.
Aborah urged stakeholders, including families, educators, and traditional leaders, to take deliberate steps to preserve and pass on valuable cultural practices to future generations.
“We have modernized a lot of our marriage culture and it is not helping us. I think in the next decade, people may forget about all these things.”
His remarks come amid growing debate over the relevance of certain traditional customs in contemporary society, with some advocating reform and others pushing for preservation.
Mike 105.3FM |Navrongo | David Adapuna
