The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has made a clarion call to the people of Ghana to do whatever they can to pursue peace and consolidate it as the nation prepares for the general elections on December 7, this year.
Speaking at the launch of the Church’s ‘Agent of Peace’ campaign held at the Burma Camp in Accra on Sunday, September 27, 2020, under the theme: “Seek Peace and Pursue It” – Psalm 34:17b, Apostle Nyamekye appealed to all Ghanaians to be objective and constructive in their criticisms and not to be unduly blinded by their political colouration.
“Let us have the courage to correct our politicians when they go wrong and appreciate and encourage them when they do what is fitting and proper,” he said, adding, “As we launch this campaign today, we urge all stakeholders to pledge their unflinching commitment towards the peace of this nation.”
He seized the opportunity to call on the Government and other state institutions to pursue good governance so as to guarantee the peace of the country, and also do whatever is within their power to ensure a level playing field for all the political parties.
He also appealed to the security agencies to conduct themselves within the highest remit of their professional codes and remain neutral in dealing with all troublemakers.
With regard to the activities of the Electoral Commission (EC) in the run-up to the elections, Apostle Nyamekye commended the Commission on the smooth compilation of the new Biometric Voters Register. “It ought to be however noted that for an election to be viewed as free, fair and transparent, all the processes in the chain, from voter registration to the declaration of electoral results play very key roles. We, therefore, urge the Electoral Commission to undertake its activities and conduct itself in such a manner as will elicit the confidence of all its stakeholders,” he pointed out.
The Chairman further called on the Judiciary, led by the Chief Justice, to take all necessary steps to have all election-related court cases that may arise, fast-tracked. This, he said, will not only ensure that outcomes are known as quickly as possible but also shore up the confidence of the public in the judiciary in the settlement of electoral disputes.
He charged the political parties and their candidates to undertake their politicking in manners that do not seek to malign their opponents, saying, “The politics of insults, ethnocentric trivialities and unnecessary rivalry that exacerbate tensions, should be brought to an end in our political discourse and other forms of engagements.”
Apostle Eric Nyamekye, who did not leave the clergy and other religious bodies out, called on them to continue to educate their members and institute fasting and prayers for their members to cry out to God for the peace of the nation.
The event was attended by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensa who was the special guest speaker; Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs. Josephine Nkrumah; Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana and Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, Most Rev. Philip Naameh; President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) and General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, heads of churches, and the Deputy Ameer, Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Alhajj Ahmad Suleman Anderson.
Others were Members of Parliament, Municipal and District Chief Executives, traditional authorities, representatives of the various security agencies, among others.
