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The National Peace Council has admonished pastors to be mindful of election related prophecies as they have the potential to increase political tension which could lead to violence in the run-up to this year’s elections.
The Chairman of the NPC, Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, said election prophecies and certain utterances from pastors could adversely affect the peace and security of the country.
“Religious utterances can lead to increased tension among different groups, it can also become a major source of human rights violation, breakdown in social cohesion and the stability of a nation.
“These unfortunate utterances often lead to violence and displacement of people, and can have long-lasting effects on societies,” he added.
Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi was speaking at a dialogue session with prophets organised by the NPC in Accra yesterday. The event was on the theme: “Prophets and peaceful elections.” They prayed for peaceful elections.
Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi said the church was a symbol of unity in society and, therefore, urged church leaders to promote unity and national cohesion.
“Everybody is looking up to the church. When God places us in leadership positions, we must conduct ourselves in a manner that not only gives glory to God, but also brings people together,” he said.
The chairman said the event was part of efforts by the NPC to promote peace in the country.
He said his outfit had also held similar dialogues with women and youth wings of political parties, as well as party communicators and Council of Elders.
“Our goal is to have a Ghana that is uniquely built on tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Let us all understand that our peace architecture can function at its maximum with the support of all us,” Rev. Adu-Gyamfi said.
The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, called on the two major political parties — the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to accept the outcome of the elections.
“Some people in the opposition NDC are already proclaiming that they had won the elections which had not been conducted yet.
“On the other hand, some elements in the NPP had misconstrued the slogan “breaking the 8” to mean they are not willing to concede defeat irrespective of the outcome.
“All these are unhealthy and not good for our democracy,” he said.
A former Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Prof. Opoku Nyinah, advised the pastors to continue to be agents of peace.
He said in every election year, there would always be tension and it was the duty of pastors to help lower it by using their pulpits to preach peace.
“We should know that whatever message we present will be taken differently by people, but since we are agents of peace and representatives of God, we must preach peace,” Apostle Nyinah said.
A member of the NPC and founder of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan- Williams, also said that pastors must be loyal to God and the country and not political parties, adding “whatever prophetic word or revelation you have must be for the good of Ghana”.
