The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has clarified that it did not approve, endorse, or sanction the recently held Karnival Kingdom Festival, a five-day Caribbean-style carnival event organised in Osu, Greater Accra Region.
The festival, which drew public attention following videos and nude images circulated on social media, has sparked widespread debate and criticism from sections of the public, including religious groups and social commentators.
Among the institutions that openly condemned the event is the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which described the festival as unacceptable and inconsistent with Ghana’s legal, cultural, and moral standards.
The Bishops’ Conference raised concerns over some activities associated with the carnival and questioned how such an event was allowed to take place on the streets of Accra.
In response to the growing public backlash, the Ghana Tourism Authority has distanced itself from the event, insisting that it had no prior knowledge of the festival and did not provide any official approval for its organisation.
Speaking to Citi News, the Director of Corporate Affairs at the GTA, Bright Asempa Tsadidey, stated that the Authority was equally surprised by the event and is currently collaborating with the Ghana Police Service to establish the circumstances under which the carnival was organised and held.
“We know that the Ghana Tourism Authority, when it comes to tourists coming into the country and their activities, indeed we are deeply involved. However, this group of people, Ghana Tourism Authority has no idea of what went on on the streets of Accra.
“We have not okayed, we have not endorsed, and we have not sanctioned any group of people to undertake such an exercise or event.
“We have reached out to the Ghana Police Service already trying to find out the organisers of this very work so that we can engage them.”
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