African leaders urged to emulate democratic forerunners
The Former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana (MCG), Most Reverend Titus Awotwe Pratt, has admonished African leaders to exemplify the governance and development style of the forerunners of democracy and development.
Citing Ancient Greece as the cradle of democracy, the clergyman said Greece’s liberal democracy demonstrated equal opportunities and treatment for all the citizenry once a leader was elected by the people.
Most Rev Pratt spoke to the Ghanaian Times on Sunday during the induction of a nine-member Connexional officers of the Christ’s Little Band at the Wesley Methodist Church in Accra.
He charged the newly inducted officers to ensure that every member of their organisations and beyond, received their equal attention irrespective of their groups or party affiliations.
In the context of the Ancient Greece, he explained that, whoever was elected into office, was regarded as a leader of every citizen and that leader tried as much as possible to know the needs of the people bearing in mind the national responsibilities and duties that accompanied the position once elected as a leader.
Most Rev. Pratt who believed that African leaders had not done much in that regard though some strides had been made, therefore urged leaders to revise their leadership style towards addressing the needs and aspirations of the people in the face of the abundant natural and human resources.
Leaders must always be agents of change and in tune with the needs of the people therefore, their failure to perform, erupts the disappointment and suffering of the citizenry, he said, and charged the newly-inducted officers to be committed to duty.
He suggested a coherent national development plan aside party manifestos to serve as a developmental guide to all leaders going into the next general elections and beyond.
Led by Samuel Ohene Adjepong Sarpong, the Connexional officers were mandated for a three-year tenure and were expected to spearhead evangelism and other key activities related to the growth and development of the church.
Ohene Sarpong said his work as the current President would be aligned with the vision and mission of MCG while also anticipating an administration with innovative ideas and new direction.
He promised to prioritise development projects initiated by his predecessors for the growth of the church and rallied the support of his members for a successful tenure.
The Connexional Secretary, Abraham Nana Kobina Odoom, for his part, assured his support in the implementation of an action plan to increase the congregation both in quantity and quality.
The officers of the Christ’s Little Band were elected during the Expanded Steering Committee Meeting held at the Freeman Methodist Society in Kumasi on October 14, 2022 before the induction ceremony.
BY KEN AFEDZI
