General News of 2012-09-07

Presby Church fires salvos; demands apology from NDC

The Presbyterian Church of Ghana is demanding an unconditional apology from the governing National Democratic Congress over what it calls unguarded statements by some officials of the party.
It says comments by Mr Allotey Jacobs and NDC General Secretary Asiedu Nketia, suggesting the church was doing the bidding of the opposition New Patriotic Party were irresponsible and reprehensible.
Speaking to Myjoyonline.com in Accra, the Public Relations Manager of the General Assembly of the PCG, Mr Emanuel Osei Akyeampong, said the unjustified attacks on the Church’s Moderator, Rt. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey must cease!
The Central Regional Director of Communication for the NDC, commenting on an appeal by Rev. Martey to the Electoral Commission to reconsider its decision to create the 45 new constituencies, accused the Presbyterian church of finding its voice only when the NDC was in power.
“When NDC is in power, the Presby Church will wade into every issue but when it is about the NPP everything is good,” he alleged on Asempa FM.
NDC General Secretary Asiedu Nketia was also reported as saying the clergy should not stray into politics.
But the PCG is not taking the comments lightly.
“We think that for quite a long time, some leaders of some political parties continue to misbehave, using insults instead of dialogue to talk to people and …the Presbyterian Church of Ghana will not tolerate indiscipline on the part of political figure who insult the leadership of the Church,” the PR Manager if the Church said.
Mr Akyeampong said it was regrettable that in spite of the pledges and commitment to decorum in the immediate aftermath of the death of President John Mills, the political parties had reverted to their devious ways.
He maintained that the PCG was a responsible institution which had contributed effectively to the socio-economic development of the nation and that reckless comments would not deter the Church from holding state institutions accountable.
He said it was curious that some leaders of the governing NDC had constituted themselves into spokespersons for the EC.
The PR Manager said the leadership of the NDC must call, Mr Allotey Jacob and Mr. Asiedu Nketia and other members of the party whose track record was to pour vitriol on members of the clergy, to order.