Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has appealed to Ghanaians not to turn this year’s election into a religious one but focus on the issues that will help deal with the challenges confronting the country.
He said it was important for all to pay attention to the ideas, policies and solutions being championed by all the different flagbearers and allow that to influence their choice of who leads the country in 2025.
“As we go to the December polls, let’s make it about ideas and solutions to the problems of our country. We live as Muslims and Christians in harmony, and should not let this election be about religion or religious differences,” he stated.
Dr Bawumia made the appeal in Accra on Sunday when he joined Muslims to observe this year’s Eid ul-Adha prayers at the Independence Square in Accra.
The prayers, which was led by the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, was also attended by the second lady, Mrs Samira Bawumia, and other high dignitaries in the country.
Prayers were offered for the peace of the country, President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Ghanaians in general.
Dr Bawumia said the upcoming election must not divide the country but must rather unite the people for national development.
“We’re one people, one nation, and should let this elections be about policies, ideas and solutions of the respective candidates have for the country be the focus,” he emphasised.
Touching on the performance of the Akufo-Addo-led government, he said they were not oblivious of the current economic challenges occasioned by global events, however, as a result of the thoughtful and prudent measures put in place the economy was gradually recovering and the results shall manifest sooner than later.
He listed some of the policies the government had implemented so far as the free Senior High School, free TVET, skill training and entrepreneurial empowerment, as well as creating 2.1 million jobs over the past seven years, the highest in the Fourth Republic.
In addition to these, he said, the establishment of the Zongo Development Fund had also improved in the provision of social amenities in most zongo communities.
These, he said, included the provision of water facilities, drainage system, astroturf, bridges and classroom blocks while 40 Muslim students were offered education scholarships to study medicine abroad.
In an address read on his behalf, the National Chief Imam called for religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence among all religious faiths in the country.
He appealed to Muslim youth to observe the laws regulating the polls and urged the Electoral Commission to be free, fair and transparent with its electoral processes.
In addition, Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu called on the security agencies to be more professional in their dealings with the political parties and the electorates.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
