Accra: Veteran filmmaker Socrate Safo has reacted to the controversies surrounding the recently held Karnival Kingdom Festival in Accra, which has drawn backlash from the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference. Speaking on Peace FM on May 7, 2026, the veteran filmmaker said the festival did not feature any activity on its lineup where anyone engaged in sexual activity in public, which he noted is against Ghanaian laws.
According to Ghana Web, Socrate Safo further addressed concerns about the way some female participants were dressed, with claims that their outfits exposed cleavage and significant skin. He compared the style of dressing to the Dipo tradition, a Krobo puberty rite practiced mainly in Ghana's Eastern Region, which serves as an initiation ceremony for girls coming of age.
Socrate stated, 'Someone hosted a programme and clearly outlined the activities. Among the lineup, we didn't see anyone engaging in sexual intercourse in public, which is against our laws. With the way they were dressed, what is the difference between that and Dipo?'
Host Ola Michael then raised a question on whether, during Dipo rites, the girls twerk. 'Do we twerk during Dipo?' Ola Michael asked. Socrate Safo responded by questioning whether twerking in public should be considered a crime. 'Since when did twerking become a crime? What proves that when someone twerks, it is a crime?' Socrate added.
Following the event, the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference condemned scenes of public nudity at the Karnival Kingdom Festival, describing them as offensive, unlawful, and contrary to Ghana's moral standards. In a statement signed by its President, Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Conference said the event, held from April 22 to 28, 2026, undermined Ghanaian values and breached provisions of the law. The Conference also called for an immediate and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the festival, particularly the role played by public authorities.