Cardinal Turkson urges legislature to look up to God

Accra, Jan. 25, GNA - Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, on Sunday charged the legislature to bring a "divine component of leadership" into their deliberations to ensure good governance.

He said virtues such as tolerance, justice, patience and righteousness were important assets, which every member of the legislature needed to be "fortified with" to provide good leadership and democracy for their constituents.

Cardinal Turkson was preaching at a thanksgiving service at the end of a Parliamentary Week celebration in Accra, under the theme: "Parliamentary Democracy - Key to sustainable development."

Cardinal Turkson said it was not enough that members of parliament were elected to represent their people, because as leaders they needed a divine ability and endowment to make democracy meaningful. He said in governance there was the need for divine wisdom to assist in the business of leadership.

He called for consensus building, compromise and tolerance among members of parliament as they debated issues in the floor of the house. Cardinal Turkson used the occasion to thank the Speaker, Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey and Parliament for a congratulatory message sent to him upon his elevation to the position of Cardinal.

Earlier, Mr. Ala Adjetey, Mr. Ken Tachie, Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Majority Leader and Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader took turns to read scripture lessons.

Special prayers were also offered against corruption and for good governance and peace during this year's elections.

Ministers of the gospel from various denominations, including Rev. Dr. Annor Yeboah, Presiding Bishop of Christian Praise and Pastor Dr. Andrew Ewoo, Ministerial Secretary, West-Central Africa Division of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, took turns to offer prayers. In attendance to grace the occasion with hymns and songs were the North Kaneshie Circuit Methodist Choir and the Voices of Democracy, made up of staff of the Parliamentary Service Board.