Set the agenda for politicians to address, churches urged

By Bertha Badu-Agyei, GNA
Koforidua, Sept. 17, GNA - Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), has called on churches to set the agenda for politicians to address.

He said since the church is not different from all other stakeholders in nation building, it must show its relevance by projecting the interest and aspirations of its congregation.

He said the church as an institution must fill the current political season with 'other voices' by speaking the truth and outlining the reality, in humility with fairness to all actors without playing the card of a particular party.

Dr Opuni-Frimpong, who was speaking at election 2016 Christian and Public Education Campaign' in Koforidua on the theme: 'the churches political role in nation building', said the church must be visible and soften the grounds with unbiased truth.

On the hostility and bad language on the political terrain, he said 'silence was not the option for the church' and urged church leaders to wear their Christian Council 'cloth' and touch base with the people.

The church must point out the shortfalls in the promises and assurances that the politicians are giving to shape the political discourse.

The General-Secretary of the CCG said all the 31-member churches including the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Methodist, Anglican, Baptist, Evangelical Presbyterian, AME Zion, as well as the Pentecostals are engaging their members who were politicians to diffuse the tension.

He said these efforts are geared towards making the 2016 election an issue-based one to diffuse the tension and to ensure that the electorates are involved in the processes to make the outcomes acceptable to all.

Dr Opuni-Frimpong expressed the hope that the churches would rise up to the occasion by giving hope and direction to the nation as it prepares for the polls.

The Christian and Public Education Campaign is a nationwide activity being undertaken by the CCG and the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in churches that make up the CCG, to sensitise group leaders and representatives on how to diffuse the tension before, during and after the elections.

GNA