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05.06.2012 General News

'Expedite Tobacco Bill Passage'

05.06.2012 LISTEN
By Daily Guide

GHANA RISING, a non-governmental organisation, has called on Parliament to expedite the passage of the Tobacco Bill to spare members of the public who do not smoke the ordeal of being exposed to passive smoking.

In a speech to mark the celebration of Africa Day recently in Accra, Raymond Boakye, Communications Director of Ghana Rising, highlighted: 'We petition in a respectful manner, the Hon Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo, to ensure that the bill is quickly passed to save non-smokers from contracting diseases linked with passive smoking henceforth.'

Noting that Ghanaians have a collective responsibility to promote values that would take us forward and reject firmly those that retard our progress, he said:  'One of the most conspicuous stumbling blocks that impede our effort to national cohesion and development is our inability to see issues of common national interest without those political party colours that, more often than not, cloud our judgments and cause us to set aside important issues.'

Touching on the need to protect the peace in the country through cautious statements, Pastor Boakye said: 'When we look at human history, we see that the most brutal and cruel wars were not those fought between nations but those between races. Among these, the worst were wars between races where religion was used as a pretext. In the Bosnian civil war, said to be one of the worst ethnic conflicts of the 20 th century, thousands, including many children, were brutally massacred.

'Religious wars continue to occur because many politicians use the enmity between religions and ethnic groups to satisfy their selfish desires. In the face of political power, religions often waver and lost their way. They lose sight of the original purpose, which is to exist for the sake of peace. All religions have a responsibility to advance the cause of world peace. Yet lamentably, we see that religions instead become the cause of conflict.

'Behind this evil, we find the machinations of politics, with its power and money. The responsibility of a leader, above all else, is to keep peace. Yet, leaders often seem to do the opposite and lead the world into confrontation and violence.'

He finally added that: 'God has already revealed the solution through unification principle. Prime Ghana seeks to bring together the efforts of many individuals and organisation to build a peaceful and prosperous nation.'

By Samuel Boadi

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