Christian Council Must Make Responsible Statements -NDC

The Christian Council Must Make Responsible Statements, On Issues Bordering on National Security!!!!

The Youth Activist Network of the National Democratic Congress has observed with utmost regret the turn of events on the state holding Asamoah Boateng and six others accountable for their involvement in ¢ 860,000,000.00 scandal at the Ministry of Information. We want to express our gross disappointment and utmost dismay in the action of the Christian council and the Ghana Bar Association for acting on impulse and responding based on misguided information.

We wish to draw a quick exception to the comments of Rev. Fred Deegbe, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, which sought to say that “citizens of Ghana are not being treated with honour and dignity in accordance with the law and due process, as we seek justice and accountability,". This statement from a religious leader is most unfortunate and quiet disappointing to a lot of Christians in this country.

Today, the Christian council have realised that citizens are not being treated with honour and dignity. Are they in this country? Where was the Christian Council when Former President Rawlings, E.T Mensah and others were taken to the BNI and restricted for almost 48hrs? Where were they when Tsatsu Tsikata was unlawfully jailed? Where were they when a young mechanic in Kumasi was detained for days, for saying that Former president Kufour was travelling too much? Where were they when Alhaji Issah Mobillah was killed in custody, when autopsy report showed that he had been killed hanging upside-down? Where were the Christian council when YAA’NA and the 40 others were killed? Are they saying these people are not citizens of this country? Does it mean these people don’t deserve honour and dignity?

So soon the Christian Council has got its voice back, it is very unfortunate how the Christian Council think they can deceive people by hiding under the guise of misinformation. We the members of YAN don’t want to believe that such a group of its calibre will issue a statement on the comments of “serial callers” without consulting the BNI, the police or the parties involved, but rather we hold the believe that this action was done out of deliberate attempt to make the situation appear bad and out of control. We don’t want to believe that the Christian council is now aligning itself to the NPP.

As part of the statement Rev. Fred Deegbe stated that the "culture of vendetta seems to be taking root in our country", this we see as rather too political a statement from a religious leader. If the execution of the law and constitutional provisions is called a culture of vendetta, we wouldn’t know what Rev. Fred Deegbe and his Christian Council will call the rule of law? If somebody being invited to answer questions on his stewardship is culture of vendetta then Rev. Fred Deegbe should revise his notes, because the last time we checked it is called accountability.

We have also observed with exceptional outrage, the statement from the Greater Accra Chairman of the Ghana Bar Association (G.B.A) seeking to condemn the actions of the BNI. First of all the G.B.A had stated categorically when NPP was in power that they will no longer comment on national politics. Hence G.B.A dismissed their President for talking against the persecution and the manipulation of the justice system during the trial of Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, when he was denied the right to counsel of his choice at the point of conviction. We the members of YAN, are left with no choice than to express our gross displeasure and utmost disappointment in the actions of these two groups who have clearly shown that they have political sympathy for the NPP and does care about the poor tax payer and the suffering masses, who are being denied good quality healthcare, education, food, clothing and shelter. Dr. Raymond Atuguba has mentioned that corrupt government officials must be prosecuted for murder because they deny the poor of quality health care, quality education, good roads, agricultural development and good standard of living and we agree with him in no uncertain terms. For that matter, we the members of YAN would want to place on record that we fully agree and support the actions of the BNI and other security agencies in their quest to safeguard the economic well-being of this country as enshrined in the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act 1996 (ACT 526), Section 12, article (1), clause (b) which states that The Intelligence Agencies shall Safeguard the economic well-being of the State against threats posed by the acts or omissions of persons or organizations both inside and outside the country.

As it is written in Mark 11:17 “my house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a robbers' den”. Is the Christian Council today condoning corruption, thievery and murder? This is an act detestable to God. We therefore caution all true independent civil society organisations and religious bodies, to watch their comments and be as objective as possible in their dealings, especially on political issues. God bless our homeland Ghana. Long live Ghana’s Democracy!! Long live YAN!!!

Otokunor Boamah Peter (Chief spokesperson)

Ebenezer Kwashie (Leading Member)