The Issue of Religion in Ghana’s Body Politics

The nonsense and nonsensical brainless thinking individuals in Ghana politics who are politicians, party executives and some pastors or reverend fathers must stop. At least Ghanaians expect them to apologize and retract their careless and senseless comments in the politics of Ghana by using religion to divide Ghana. I am using such words and terms because that is what they deserve to be mention to them. Ghana is a multiple religious nation where we assume to be co-existing without comparing and challenging each other’s religious background. And so, why will a politician or pastor say that Christians are many and are more than any religion in Ghana. I found this very unfortunate and careless because such statement is not in the constitution of Ghana and it is not a premise by which Ghanaians should be making decisions when it comes to national elections.

It is wrong and abnormal for anybody in Ghana to say that Christians are 70% and others are 30% and said so therefore Ghana is for them. This is madness on the highest ground. It is big mischief and must be exposed and rejected by all Ghanaians not to take such people seriously and should speak against such utterances. We are in this country when people use wrong methodologies as in terms of population and data collection technique and present doubtful results and expects Ghanaians to believe or trust such misleading information. If the Statistical Service of Ghana have data on the populations of Ghana regarding the religions cannot be used carelessly to represent election information. It is wrong and careless for anybody in Ghana to use the religion figures or data by the Statistical Service Department. Such data and figures are for social issues and economies of shared development but not for pollical pronouncements against religions. Ghanaians, both Christians and other religions must always come out to condemn anybody whosoever pass a comment that Christians are more than Moslems or other religions. It is divisive and can be equated to treason.

Elections of Ghana for that matter the Electoral Commission data on voters does not publish their religious backgrounds but rather just Ghanaian voters and so why should someone use media to tell the whole world about their hideous intentions that discriminate against other religions? Who in Ghana can quote religious data from the Electoral Commission of Ghana? None and nobody can provide it because they don’t publish such data and I don’t even know whether in their data collection during registration of voters they even have a section for religious background? If such is there it is not even necessary or important. Hence, Ghanaians can see that those pastors who always say that Christians are 70% in Ghana are totally wrong and out of order. So therefore, Ghanaians as from now on must come out and condemn such posture which is a set up to cause conflict between Christian religion and other religions within the body of Ghana politics.

Another aspect of political carelessness and hideous pronouncement is a politician or executive to loosely say that Moslem can never be president of Ghana. This is absurdity and ingratitude and political madness for someone to say such a statement. Why? Is such statement in our constitution? Is that what the constitution under the Electoral Commission of Ghana states? This statement is very awful and can be compared to treason against the state. We are in this country when some politicians and Presidents of the Republic of Ghana say that we are one people and that the national cake will always be shared among ourselves. So, why will someone loosely pass a comment that a Moslem can never be president of Ghana? What is this person or people agenda? Is it to sideline good and hardworking Moslems in politics? Party foot soldiers and Ghanaians in general must ignore or expose such characters in our body politics and never listen or satisfy their agenda of setting up politically and religiously rivalry in this country. I encourage all meaning Ghanaians to call such people out if they do not apologize to Ghanaians. Such people should not be allowed to determine or design Ghana political terrain mischievously to satisfy their personal agenda.

Ghanaians are living together as one people and when it comes to election matters, there is no where in the constitution of Ghana where such statements can be found. So, all can see the hypocrisy and personal agenda that some will carelessly try to cause divisions and discrimination in this country? It is time for us to ask them to stop this religious politics and concentrate on ideas, creativity, and best practices that will yield Ghana good development going forward. Our politics must be based on experience, smartness, charismatic, approachable and loved by all religions in Ghana.

Going forward, Ghanaians must make everybody to understand that elections in Ghana do not discriminate against individual’s religion and therefore, parties must not indulge in such path within their politicking for leadership. Any party that is indulged in tarnishing or deliberately sidelining Moslems from becoming president of Ghana must be punished by not falling for such agenda. In Ghana we are one people and so therefore, it is time that Christian denominations in Ghana must pledge in their hearts to give at least a chance to a Moslem or other religious denomination to be voted as president of Ghana one day if such opportunity arises. This will signify to those who are trying hard to divide religions in Ghana not to achieve their hideous and personal agenda. There is always respect between Christians and Moslems or other religions at all times and so, efforts must be made continuously by all religions to put up a Moslem as a president of Ghana to build more trust and economic unity in development and progress. In Ghana we are one people and we do not condone discrimination against any religion becoming a president of Ghana.

Those who are bad mouthed in this issue of religion in Ghana’s body politics must put a stop and apologize for such discriminatory and derogatory comments. May God/Allah bless our homeland Ghana to be great and strong.

By Dr. A-K Adam

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