Church urges Govt to save textiles and livestock sectors

Accra, Aug. 14, GNA - The Global Evangelical Church has called on government to take immediate steps to save the textile and livestock sectors of the economy to help reverse the worsening unemployment situation in the country.

In a four point communiqu=E9 at the end of the 64th synod, the Church commended government for various efforts to improve the economic base but called for more specific actions to alleviate the plight of the average Ghanaian.

The Synod lauded efforts to improve road network and educational infrastructure in the country as well as the initiative to promote quality health for the people through the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme.

It asked all implementing agencies, churches and organizations to support the programme to ensure its success.

The Synod, however, expressed concern about the gradual creeping of indiscipline, dishonesty and examination malpractices in the country's second and tertiary institutions and urged the educational authorities to do everything within their power to eliminate the practice. On HIV/AIDS the Church strongly condemned suggestions and calls for legalisation of prostitution in the country, saying these would only lead to an upsurge of the pandemic.

The Synod therefore, called for continuous education of the youth in particular about the HIV/AIDS menace and appealed to government, non-governmental organizations and all those involve in the fight against the disease to emphasise abstinence and marital fidelity in the fights against the spread.

The Church also expressed disgust at the blatant display of pornography and use of profane lyrics in songs in the country, saying it was undermining the moral and cultural values in the Ghanaian society and asked for their elimination.

Concerns were also expressed about child labour practices that were inimical to the development of less-privileged and deprived children. The Synod asked government to implement the recommendations of the Education Reform Review Committee on Apprenticeship/Skill training as endorsed in the White Paper on the report to help provide opportunities for children who were unable to continue from the Junior Secondary School level.

On politics, the Church called on the Executive, Parliament, Judiciary and all relevant agencies to work effectively to ensure and entrench true democracy that would guarantee freedom and well-being of the people.

It called on the United Nations and the international community to use dialogue and other persuasive means to eliminate terrorism in the world.

In a sermon to round off the Synod, Reverend (Dr) Emmanuel Gbordzoe, Moderator of the Global Evangelical Church asked Christians to pin their hope in God because only He had the answers to the problems plaguing mankind.

He tasked Christians to remain strong and prayed unceasingly even in the face of all difficulties.