2016 Polls: Stay Neutral – Mahama Tells Clergy

President John Mahama has urged the clergy to be politically neutral in order to be able to calm the political temperature as Ghana heads to the polls in November.

“Your role as arbiters means you should be neutral because if the clergy takes sides then we lose the moral authority to arbitrate. So it doesn’t matter if it is NDC which is ratcheting up in intemperate language; you must be free to point out to that party. It doesn’t matter if it is NPP, you must call them to order. It is only when we do this; that we will have that moral authority, to arbitrate this political regime,” the President said on Thursday when he met the clergy in Kumasi as part of his ‘Accounting to the people’ tour of the Ashanti region.

In an apparent reference to the recent verbal attack on the EC boss by the Assin Central MP, Mr. Mahama advised politicians to be mindful of their utterances as they stand the risk of deepening the cracks in the moral fibre of the nation.

“Often when the elections are coming up; the political rhetoric ratchets up and very careless and unfortunate statements like the one that was made recently that everyone has been talking about”.

On Wednesday, the President assured the Asantehene that he will ensure that the elections are conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

“Otumfuo you know who I am, I am not reckless. I assure you and the people of Ghana that if there will be any violence in this polls, it won’t come from me. So whatever the government must do to ensure a smooth polls, as president and commander-in-chief, I will do,” Mahama stated.