Peter Cardinal Kwadwo Appiah Turkson, the Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, has rallied Ghanaians to support President John Dramani Mahama to execute his mandate satisfactorily.
The Ghanaian prelate stated that “the transformation of this land will not be a task for just the President alone” but a shared duty that requires the participation of all citizens.
Delivering the Christian sermon at the maiden National Prayer and Thanksgiving Service in Accra yesterday, Cardinal Turkson stressed that “with all the good intentions that he may have, the transformation of this land depends on us”.
He cautioned that if the greed of the few continued unchecked, the well-being of present and future generations stood threatened.
The resources and riches of the land, he noted were for the good of citizens and must serve their interests and not the interest of a few.
Citing the ‘tragedy of the commons’ – a concept where individuals, using shared resources, put their interests ahead of the larger group – to buttress his point, Cardinal Turkson said Ghana was headed to that situation.
“In the rift valley, there’s a community that keeps common grazing land for all. But if someone brings too many cows or sheep, the land fails to serve everyone. That is the ‘tragedy of the commons’. Here in Ghana, our land is rich and endowed. It must serve all, not be destroyed by greed.”
In his view, Ghana has already reached that point where its resources are becoming a blessing to the greedy few but a curse to the larger population with regard to the galamsey menace.
“The Pra River no longer yields prawns and shrimps; children who swim in our rivers are exposed to cyanide and mercury. Our church hospitals see rising cases of birth deformities. The Ankobra is already gone. These are the consequences of irresponsible exploitation,” he said.
Touching on the theme of the national gathering; ‘Reflect, Reset and Renew for National Prosperity’, Cardinal Turkson said it was time Ghana built a future that serves the common good by drawing lessons from its past as espoused by its first President, Kwame Nkrumah.
“To reflect is to see our blessings and our blind spots. To reset is to turn away from what destroys us; corruption, division, and exploitation. And to renew is to build a Ghana where every child can flourish.
“Virtuous living is what we all need in this land to make everything work. You don’t need to be a priest or pastor; every Ghanaian must live responsibly and think of the common good. Let us reflect, reset and renew; so Ghana can be a land of prosperous living for the well-being of all,” he rallied.
Delivering the Muslim sermon at a National Mosque, Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Alhaji Maulvi Noor Mohammed Bin Salih, emphasized the need for Ghana to give gratitude to Allah for his mercies on the country.
He called on Ghanaians to be patriotic to the project Ghana and love the country for if they do, they won’t do anything that retard its progress.
“Patriotism is not empty sloganeering. True patriotism is true commitment of oneself to country. It is not a feeling but a duty,” Alhaji Salih said.
He commended President Mahama for the initiative to submit to God the country’s gratitude on the occasion of its republic and to seek his blessings.
Present at the National Mosque was the National Chief Imam, Sheikh (Dr) Osman Nuhu Sharubutu.
Also present at the separate gatherings were the President and his vice, ministers and senior officials in government, the Speaker of Parliament and members of the legislature, the acting Chief Justice and justices of the superior court, political parties, the clergy, traditional leaders, heads of security agencies, and the general public.
The services were interspersed with intercessory prayers for the President and the government, song ministration, goodwill messages, prophecy declarations and fraternity.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
