Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, the former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, has avowed that religious leaders must be considered as partners in national development and not enemies.
“Political leaders must not perceive leaders of faith-based organisations and other civil society organisations as their enemies because faith-based organisations have functioned as institutions of calm in our governance efforts over the years.”
“Their roles
are very crucial for national cohesion and fair reflections on both intended
and unintended outcomes of public policies,” Rev Opuni-Frimpong, currently a
lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi noted in an interview.
“The strategic political efforts by some
political leaders to silence voices of wisdom in the society through verbal and
other forms of attacks did not augur well for national development and good
democratic governance practices.”
“I urge the leadership of faith-based and other
civil society organisations to encourage themselves to play their God-given
responsibilities as stewards of the society and peace-makers, there is the need
for the leaders of the people of God to stand in the gap for the common good of
the nation and the ultimate glory of God,” Rev Opuni-Frimpong stressed.
This comes on
the back of seeming calls for attacks on the Chairman of the National Peace
Council, Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante by the National Chairman of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
In a viral leaked audio, he is heard outlining
plans to match up against groups from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of
the 2020 elections, telling the audience believed to be communicators of the
party to attack the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa
and Rev Prof Asante.
Subsequently,
he said he does not hold any grudges against Ofosu Ampofo for allegedly
ordering NDC communicators to verbally attack him and no amount of insults will
deter him from promoting peace in the country.
“That’s not going to stop the Peace Council from
doing its work, my conscience is clear, I will do what is expected of me, I
will be neutral, we’ve done it in the past, we will continue doing what we have
to do, I’ve already forgiven who ever said that. If he [Samuel Ofosu Ampofo]
said that, I’ve forgiven him, if it’s not him, I still have forgiven whoever
said those words,” Rev Prof Asante indicated. –citinewsroom.com