Mahama Runs To Churches To Help Fight Corruption

The new Bishop waving to the crowd
After government appointees and communicators have, on countless occasions, vilified and tongue-lashed Churches and men of God who spoke against corruption in the country, President John Dramani Mahama has now backtracked and is running to the Churches to help fight corruption.

In a speech read on his behalf, the President urged religious leaders in the country to lead the campaign against corruption in their various churches and mosques in order to curb the menace.

He conceded that the government alone could not win the fight against corruption except with the support of all stakeholders, particularly the religious institutions.

He also expressed the need for education on the dangerous effects of corruption to enlighten the citizenry and eventually help win the war against the canker.

The President's speech was read by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Johnny Osei Kofi, at the ordination of Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu as the new Catholic Bishop of the Ho Diocese in the Volta Region over the weekend.

He said, 'We need to educate every citizen of Ghana using the churches, using the mosques, using every other spiritual facility and arena, to let us be aware that we have a role to play.

'We must be talking to our church members working as teachers, working as policemen, working as tax people, working as politicians about their responsibility to the country,' Mahama said.

He lamented that 'corruption has become quite a serious problem. The government is ready to do everything about it, but very often the information that you need to gather and prosecute may not be as clear as that.'

Appointment of Ho Diocese Bishop
Monsignor Fianu, who is an SVD priest, was elected by Pope Francis in July 2015 as successor to the first Ghanaian Bishop of the then Keta-Ho Diocese, and now Ho Diocese, Most Rev. Francis Kofi Anane Lodonu.

Bishop Emeritus Lodonu was in charge of the Roman Catholic Church in the Volta Region for over 40 years.

Thousands of Catholic faithful across the Volta Region and the country thronged the Jubilee Park in Ho to witness this special event. The dignitaries included members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Traditional leaders including president of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV.

Top government officials led by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Johnny Osei and the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament Rt. Hon. Edward Doe Adjaho were also present.

Also in attendance were missionary priests, bishops and other religious leaders from parts of Africa, including Togo, Benin and Nigeria among others.

The Superior General of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) at the Vatican was also present to support his member, who until his appointment, was the Secretary General of the SVD.

Consecration of New Bishop
The principal consecrator at the ceremony was His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Coast in Ghana and the current president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the Vatican.

He was assisted by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, Most Rev. Jean-Marie Speich and Bishop Emeritus of Ho Most Rev. Francis Lodonu.

The new bishop of Ho Diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Fianu, addressing the congregants, expressed gratitude to everyone for their well wishes and prayers and called for their support. He also commended the good works of his immediate-past predecessor.

ArchBishop of Accra, Most Rev. Palmer Buckle, delivering the homily of the day, talked about the good shepherd, as he expressed confidence in the Bishop elect to lead the Lord’s flock in the Ho diocese.

From Fred Duodu, Ho ( [email protected] )