They also expressed concern about youth unemployment as the teeming youth were drifting into criminal activities including cyber fraud, armed robbery and prostitution.

In separate Easter messages compiled by the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday, they said it was of utmost importance for practi­cal solutions to be found for the worsening unemployment situation to save the country from its adverse effects.

“It is our prayer that the Risen Lord would help us overcome these hardships and that the vulnerable, especially children, wom­en and the elderly will be protected from exploitation and desertion,” said Most Rev. Matthew K. Gyamfi, President, Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC).

Most Rev Matthew Gyamfi,President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference

According to him, the importance of Christ’s resurrection is stated by St. Paul: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preach­ing is in vain, and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:14).

“For us Christians it is crucial that Christ was raised from the dead. If he had not risen from the dead, then what would have been the point of following him? But it is the belief of Christians that Christ indeed rose from the dead. We also believe as Christians that as Christ was raised from the dead, we too shall be raised from the dead,” he explained.

He said the first gift of the risen Christ to his disciples was peace. On the first Easter morning, when he met his disciples, he said to them: “Peace be with you” (John 20:20, 21). It is our prayer that Christ will bestow on us and on our country the same gift of peace that he gave to his disciples. We must pray for and work towards the realisation of peace in all sectors of our lives and ensure that we put an end to everything that does not promote peace, especially conflict and violence.

Most Rev Gyamfi who is also the Bishop of Sunyani said urged Ghanaians to eschew all ethnocentric tendencies, actions and state­ments that will not bring peace to Ghana.

In the same vein, we should avoid saying and doing things that will bring about reli­gious intolerance and conflict in our country.

“We urge people of different religious per­suasions to continue to live together in peace and to use peaceful and legitimate means to resolve all differences and challenges that may arise,” he added

Most Rev. Gyamfi entreated Ghanaians to work together to keep the environment clean, saying “we should stop the bad habit of throwing garbage into gutters and litter­ing our towns and cities since these contrib­ute to the choking of our drainage systems.”

We regret the continuous loss of lives on our roads due to reckless driving and impa­tience on the part of drivers as well as on our lakes as a result of overloading of boats and non-wearing of life jackets.

• Most Rev Dr Paul Boafo,Presiding Bishop Methodist Church Ghana

The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev Dr Paul K. Boafo said the Easter season offers hope and joy to everyone. When the happenings in the world cause us stress about the cost of living and health concerns, insecurity, heartache, brokenness, fear and many other crises or negative feelings, the resurrection of Jesus offers hope in these times of despair.

“Our world seems to be in moments of fear, sadness, and confusion; however, the Risen Christ assures us that we can rise above to new beginnings. The message, re­newed hope and peace of the Easter season, should enable us to forgive and reconcile with those who have hurt us. The message of Easter must encourage us to put an end to all bitterness, he added.

Rt Rev. Boafo stated that the lives of Christians must reflect the true impact that the resurrection brings into our communi­ties: Attitudinal and institutional changes. It changes hate into love, despair into joy.

“The celebration of Easter must therefore prepare us to turn our backs to selfishness, dishonesty, indecency, bribery and corrup­tion, and indiscipline in our society and help us to turn our efforts in healing the political, family, ethnic and religious wounds in the society,” he added.

The Methodist Bishop said the message of Easter and celebration must stir and steer Christians into becoming agents and instruments of hope and transformation to the world. It should give us the energy and desire to continue to work toward justice, peace, reconciliation and unity, and enabling a better world for all people.

The General Superin­tendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana Rev. Dr Stephen Wengam

The General Superin­tendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana Rev. Dr Stephen Wengam, said Easter reminds Christians of the great sac­rifice Christ Jesus made for us. It behooves humanity to make some sacrifices for the well-being of others and toward nation-building.

“Easter also reminds us of how God condescended to forgive and reconcile hu­mankind to Himself. We must therefore exude forgiveness, reconciliation, unity and peace; eschew selfishness and work out the cause of Christ and humanity,” he said.

He said the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, call for holiness. The thought of Jesus taking our place in death, should strike this chord in us. No wonder Romans 12:1 beckons us to consider God’s mercy and offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.

The Diocesan Anglican Bishop of Accra, Rt Rev Dr Daniel Sylvanus Mensah Torto stated that in the life of Jesus Christ on earth, he enters into the pain, uncer­tainty and confusion that are associated with human life: He lives amongst the sick, the broken and the suffering.

• Rt Rev Dr Daniel Sylvanus Mensah Torto,Anglican Bishop of Accra

“He said in Christ’s passion and death, He experiences the depths of humanity. As the Father raises Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit from the dead, a new day dawns for the world. Death is conquered and overcome,” he added.

Rt Rev. Torto urged the public to desist from building in water­ways which contributes immensely to our pe­rennial flooding situations in our country, adding that the District Assemblies and the Municipal Authorities must be alive to their responsibilities.

Leadership of the country must be like Isaiah, who saw the vision of the future and the risen Jesus, to be honest in their commu­nications and be pragmatic with policies that will bring relieve to citizens in the future.

He said the celebration of Easter cannot be done with integrity unless we are pre­pared to set it within the context of life’s pain and suffering.

BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI