MoU signed to preserve Ghana's natural, historical sites

Accra, Feb. 8, GNA - Ghana Museums and Monuments Board has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust aimed at forging closer collaboration to strengthen their managerial roles in preserving the country's historical sites and cultural heritage.

The institutions, as part of the deal, would remind each other of their core roles of embarking on regular public education and awareness creation campaigns to promote conservation of natural resources in communities.

The two boards are expected to forge deeper partnership, meeting at least twice in a year, to deliberate and take action in safeguarding Ghana's natural resources' sites and cultural heritage.

Mr Kojo Yankah, Chairman of Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust (GHCT) said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement would afford the two parties to cement existing relationship for the mutual understanding of their respective roles.

He said the deal would create the platform for both of them to communicate more often and oversee effective implementation of projects that would inure to the benefits of Ghana and generations yet unborn.

Mr Yankah said the GHCT, established in 1997, was given a boost when the USAID endowed with it $2 million to help formulate and implement programmes and projects.

He noted that heritage in every society was important in understanding the story of every nation's history, identity and its people.

Mr Fritz Baffour, Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) chairman expressed joy that an agreement has been reached with the two bodies to ensure that property of the country was securely preserved and protected.

He said it was important to ensure cultural artifacts and natural sites of the country were properly taken care of for the identity of the society.

The GMMB is the legal custodian of Ghana's material cultural heritage, both movable and immovable heritage.

The Board was established in March 1957, on the eve of Ghana's independence, as a result of the merger of the then interim Council of the National Museum of the Gold Coast and the Monuments and Relics Commission.

But Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust is a non-governmental, non-profit preservation and conservation of Ghana's Historic Monuments and sites and biodiversity of national and global importance.

It was established to promote the unique concept of combining historical and natural resource conservation for socio-economic development, as originated by policy makers.

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