Veep Commends Religious Leaders For National Peace

The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has commended religious leaders for ensuring peaceful coexistence among the various religious faiths in the country.

He said it was the prevalent peace among Muslims, Christians and other religious faiths that had enhanced the nation’s democracy and made it possible for socio-economic development to take place.

He, however, urged Ghanaians not to take the peace for granted but rather make strenuous effort toward maintaining it.

Mr Mahama was speaking at a special national prayer and thanksgiving ceremony dubbed: The Night of Power organised by the Parliamentary Muslim Caucus at the Banquet Hall of the State in Accra.

God says in the Holy Quran that The Night of Power, which falls within the last 10 days of the fasting period, is better than 1,000 months. Therefore, any act of worship on that night, which many Islamic scholars believe falls on the 27th night of the fasting period, earns the reward of 1,000 months.

An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Armiyao Shaibu, who spoke on the significance of the Night of Power (Lailatul Kadir) said the night of power was significant in transforming the lives of people and nations because Angels of God descended on earth with blessings and good tidings of the coming years to worshipers.

The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, used the occasion to pray for President John Evans Atta Mills, Vice-President Mahama, the judiciary, the legislature and all Ghanaians to continue to do well in their various endeavours and the sustenance of peace and development in the country.

The occasion was graced by the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, the first Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joe Adjaho, the National Imam of Ahlussunna Wal Jamaa, the Ameer in-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Wahab Adam, and prominent Muslims across the various fields.

The Vice-President said the prevailing peace and stability in Ghana is our priced possession, because it is the peace that has helped us to make progress.

He said Ghana was spared ethnic, political and religious conflicts, although there were spots of ethnic and chieftaincy disputes, adding that largely we have been spared.

Mr Mahama said Ghana’s Constitution guaranteed freedom of worship, and indicated that Ghanaians had respected that constitutional provision.

For instance, he said, Muslims recently held the National Hilal Conference at a Catholic Social Centre in Bolgatanga, and said that would have been possible in other jurisdictions because the Catholic Church might have opposed that while the Muslims would not want to hold their event a Catholic centre.

Mrs Georgina Wood thanked the Muslims for praying for the judiciary because in their frailties as humans, members of the judiciary needed prayers to be able to continue to do justice and do things that were pleasing to God.

The Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Bamford Addo, in an address read on her behalf by the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, assured the Parliamentary Muslim Caucus of the full co-operation of Parliament as the Caucus tried to institutionalise the national prayer session.