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Ghanaians should not badmouth Mahama over dumsor

By GNA
Opinion Ghanaians should not badmouth Mahama over dumsor
MAY 20, 2015 LISTEN


Accra, May 20, GNA - The Presidency is the highest office of the land, however, 'uneasy lies the head that wears the crown' and it is on record that both the past and present occupants have been vilified by virtue of their office.

The ongoing power crisis, 'dumsor', which has saddled the nation over the past three years has made President John Dramani Mahama receive barrages of attacks and condemnations from politicians, policy makers, pastors, academia, play actors, and the public alike.

Although the critics of the President may have got genuine reasons to voice out their displeasures over the ongoing load shedding, some in their haste to attack him end up denigrating the sanctity of his office.

One of the sour points is for a citizen of the country to describe President Mahama as a kid. Some pastors are also of the view that the dumsor situation has gone beyond prayers.

But according to the bible, nothing is beyond prayers. Through prayers the dead have been brought to life again and famine was brought to an end.

In the early church the bible stipulates that men of God gave themselves up to prayer and the work of the ministry. 'But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.' - Acts 7:4.

In times of crisis in ancient Israel, the people appealed to the Prophet Samuel to keep praying for them, and his reply was that he would be sinning against God if he stops praying for his people.

'Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way' (1 Samuel 12:23 KJV).

One good example of prayer is from Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Founder of the Christian Action Faith Ministries, who in 2013 prayed to arrest the depreciation of the cedi.

The Archbishop has once again urged his congregation, and for that matter Ghanaians who are frustrated by developments in the country to 'stop talking' and pray for the President.

According to him, prayer is capable of resolving every difficult situation regardless of the cause.

'Whatever you think the President is doing or is not doing, if you pray for him and engage the hand of God; the hand of God can move some things,' the Archbishop told his congregation.

In his view, only prayer could put the President in the position to take critical decisions that could take the country from its present predicaments.

1 Timothy 2: 1-3 said: 'I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.'

God's standards never changes and he takes his word very seriously. If we dishonour the President there may be very serious consequences in our lives for disobeying God's command. These consequences could be worse than anything the President does to us by his policies.

This is not to say that President Mahama is above genuine criticism. For as a mortal, he may err in the performance of his duties, but to 'err is human and to forgive is divine'.

So Ghanaians must honour the President, whether they like him or not or whether they agree with him or not, but the best option is to pray for him.

Kamran M. Khan, Vice President of the Department of Compact Operations at the Millennium Challenge Corporation at a roundtable with the media in Accra gave the assurance that there is an opportunity for Ghana's power sector to be transformed to be the sub-regional hub of electricity.

Very reassuring words to symbolise the hope that the country is 'not out of the woods yet' but there is surely 'light at the end of the tunnel'. The days of dumsor would surely be over and Ghanaians would one day live up to a well-lit environment, God willing!

A GNA feature by Iddi Z. Yire

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