The Chief Advisor to the president of Ghana, Mrs. Mary Chinery- Hesse has advised actors to encourage reading in many local languages of the country as possible. “Our local languages provide insight into our indigenous and rich culture”. We can not afford to loose the deep knowledge and culture embedded within our indigenous languages. It is only through reading that we can promote better understanding among constituents of our plural society. This can contribute towards the dissemination of important information and preservation of our culture. She said all this at the opening of the 7th Ghana international book fair organized by the Ghana Book publishers Association in Accra. The theme of the fair was “Enhancing education through publishing; A reading nation is a winning nation”. Mrs. Chinery-Hesse said the economic and social health of the country depended on building a literate citizenry who can read widely for both practical purposes and for pleasure. “Lets make the current generation more aware of the pleasure and importance of reading in daily life and ensuring that they have the level of literacy skills required in modern society”. She further stated that, the importance of reading could not be emphasized as reading was an irreplaceable activity in the developing of productive and active adults. Whatever the benefits of newer electronic media, they provide no measurable substitute for the intellect and personal development initiated and sustained by frequent reading. Outlining the role of the indigenous publishing industry in the country, she said it was of central importance to the cultural, intellectual and educational life of the country. “They should also be considered as part of the foundation building blocks in the promotion of literacy and education in any country”. She commended the Ghana Book Publishers Association for organizing the book fair.
BY:MICHAEL AMEDOR
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