Torbgui Gobah Tengey Seddoh, Chief Executive Officer of the Gobah Tengey Kente Weaving Industry Limited, has called on the Government to patent the Kente cloth and its designs to curb it from being plagiarized.
He said foreigners had plagiarized the cloth and its designs for far too long, thereby producing inferior products, which had flooded the market.
Torgbui Seddoh was speaking at the launch of his book to commemorate his 78th birthday in Accra.
The 64-page book titled ‘Kete/Kente, a Priceless gem of Ghana’ talks about the history of the cloth, how it is weaved, and the various designs and their meanings both Ashanti and Ewe as well as names of the cloth.
Torgbui Seddoh said it was important to preserve what our forefathers left us, adding that ‘it is our heritage, and we should not let anyone take it away from us’.
He called on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the Kente cloth was preserved for the next generation.
Nii Kwaktey Owo, an Academician and a Film Maker, who chaired the function, said both Ewe and Akan version of the cloth had to be documented.
He encouraged Ghanaians to patronize and wear fabrics made in Ghana, adding that “our fabrics are our identity, and we must wear it to suit our culture.
The first copy of the book was auctioned for Ghc3,000.00
