Govt Will Reach Out To All Religious Denominations - Prez

The President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, has given the assurance that the government will always seek, without discrimination, the opinions and views of leaders of the various religious denominations in the formulation of national policies and programmes.

He said since good ideas transcended religious faiths, the government would do what was proper by reaching out to the various denominations to tap the best and undiluted ideas for national development.

The President was interacting with Muslim clerics at the Peduase Lodge, near Aburi, yesterday. The more-than-two-hour meeting, which attracted personalities including the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu; Maulvi Dr Wahab Adam, the Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission; leaders of the Al-Sunna and other Muslim sects, discussed pertinent issues of national concern.

According to President Mills, neither the government nor the opposition or any other stakeholders in the country had monopoly over wisdom and scholarship, since it was only the collective efforts of the people which would ensure the forward march of the country.

He said good brains existed in Christians, Muslims and others of religious persuasions, for which reason the government would not hesitate to always invite their views and factor them into national developmental goals.

'The government is for all Ghanaians and not any single religious denomination, since both Christians and Muslims voted en masse in the last presidential election to ensure my victory,' he said.

President Mills reminded the gathering of the government's recognition of the contributions of the Muslim community towards the development of the country.

He said in the course of discharging its obligations to the people of Ghana, the government was bound to make mistakes which the Muslim leadership should be able to point out for immediate correction and resolution.

President Mills, who was accompanied to the meeting by Reverend Dr Amo Darko, a member of the Council of State, and Mr Alex Segbefia, the Deputy Chief of Staff, pointed out that since the policies implemented by the government would impact directly on the people, religious leaders were duty bound to identify weaknesses in such policies for redress.

The President touched on the moral decadence in the Ghanaian society and implored the Muslim clerics to do their best to assist the government to stamp out the menace which, he said, was threatening the very foundation of the country.

In his remarks, the Chief Imam prayed for peace and stability to prevail in the country and assured the President that the Muslim community would continue to offer suggestions which would improve the spirituality of Ghanaians and the economic fortunes of the country.

He said since nation-building was a collective responsibility and a process which transcended several generations, the Muslim community would not shirk its responsibility to support the government to develop the country.