ACEPA welcomes Bagbin’s decision to ditch cloak for Ghanaian dresses
The Speaker of Parliament’s decision not to wear the Speaker’s cloak during regular Parliamentary sitting days has been commended by The African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA).
According to the Executive Director for ACEPA, Rasheed Draman, the Speaker’s decision is “long overdue”.
“The angle from which I looked at it was from when he said he wanted to promote Ghanaian culture… The economics of this and the image that it will project for our country is very important,” Mr. Draman said.
“The robe is a colonial heritage, and most countries have gotten rid of that. You go to some of our neighbours and what they wear is traditional clothes to preside over parliamentary sittings and even during ceremonial times.”
Recently, Mr. Bagbin reiterated the need to wear made-in Ghana clothing in order to deliberately market the Ghanaian culture.
“You may be seeing me more in traditional dresses. I may use that [the cloak] only for ceremonial occasions, which is what is in the literature of Ghana concerning that cloak and gown.”
“We also have to provide the market for our produce. We cannot always rely on what others manufacture and sell to us when we are capable of manufacturing even better ones,” the Speaker added.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
