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The Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of the Kumasi Catholic Archdiocese, the Most Rev. Dr Peter K. Sarpong, has said the country cannot progress with the kind of politics being practised.
He said if leaders would agree to serve rather than be served, society would be a better place.
“Without such leadership, there is no way the country can get rid of bribery and corruption, embezzlement of state resources, political arrogance, appropriation of undeserved power and sheer wickedness, intimidation, greed, ethnocentrism; in short, wicked Godlessness,” he added.
The Most Rev. Dr Sarpong was speaking at this year’s Ephraim Amu Memorial Lecture in Accra on the topic: “The performing arts, morality and the Ghanaian identity”.
The lecture series were instituted by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in honour of the composer, songwriter and social activist, Ephraim Amu.
It featured musical interludes and performances inspired by the works of Amu.
The Most Rev. Dr Sarpong said at a time when even the judicial system appeared to be churning out some injustices, “a time when we appear to look down on the Biblical injunction that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, we need the performing arts to communicate to us the true and abiding principles of life of the Ghanaian that has ennobled him all this while”.
He also said in a world where arrogance, greed and selfishness had taken over, the performing arts reminded the people who they were and the need to uphold their cherished values.
“In a world of crude individualism, arrogance, greed, avarice and selfishness, we need the performing arts constantly to remind us that the Ghanaian is by nature gentle, hospitable, friendly, forgiving, compassionate, self-respecting and welcoming.
“At a time when we seem to have no respect for symbolism, we need the performing arts to drill into our skulls the powerful message that life is not banal but full of meaning, albeit sometimes cryptic,” the Most Rev. Dr Sarpong added.
