Churches are important development partners, not just places of worship — Bawumia

2028 New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has described churches and other faith-based institutions as key partners in Ghana's development, citing their contributions to education, healthcare, social welfare and national cohesion.

According to the former Vice President, religious bodies have played a critical role in shaping the country's progress and should continue to be engaged in efforts to promote national development.

Dr. Bawumia made the remarks during a consultative meeting with the leadership of the Christian Council of Ghana on Thursday, June 11.

The meeting focused on national development, unity and collaboration between political and religious institutions to advance the country's growth and prosperity.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Bawumia praised the Christian Council of Ghana for its nearly 100 years of service to the country and highlighted the impact of mission schools on Ghana's educational development.

"In the area of education, if you take the schools, the mission schools out of Ghana, Ghana will not be Ghana," he said.

The former Vice President noted that many of Ghana's accomplished professionals and leaders were products of mission schools, which he said had historically maintained high academic standards.

He, however, expressed concern about what he described as a decline in standards in some of the schools, attributing it to interference in their management over the years.

According to him, institutions that had established themselves as centres of excellence should have been allowed to maintain the systems that made them successful.

Dr. Bawumia also reiterated the importance of collaboration between government, religious bodies, civil society organisations and the private sector in addressing the country's challenges.

"Let me emphasise that churches are not merely places of worship, but important development partners with extensive reach and credibility across the country," he stated.