Churches urged to help check vices

Somanya, April 18, GNA- Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, Eastern Region Minister, on Friday expressed worry about the increasing rate of vices in society. He called on the Churches and other religious organisations to help curb robberies, corruption and drug trafficking among others since government alone could not tackle the problems.

Mr Affram Asiedu said this in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Joseph Adu Tawiah, Yilo Krobo District Chief Executive, at the Methodist Guild-Ghana fifth Biennnnial Connexional Holiday Camp at Somanya. The four-day conference, under the theme "Have Faith in God" was being attended by 800 delegates from 15 Dioceses of the Church. The occasion coincided with the launch of Methodist Guild-Ghana Scholarship Scheme with a seed capital of 1, 000 Ghana cedis to assist brilliant but needy members of the Guild to further their studies.

Mr Asiedu said if the perpetrators of crimes believed in the word of God they would have refrained from atrocities and urged the Guild to intensify evangelism campaign to be able to save the youth from going astray.

He said "I also believe that with strong faith in the Lord, our youth will learn to do genuine business and not to rush into ungodly ways of making quick money." Mr Asiedu suggested to the managers of the scheme to consider assisting dents who faced financial difficulties in course of their academic pursuit.

Mr Enoch Baah, Connexional President, said the Guild with a membership of 14,000 adults, young people and children mainly focused on evangelism.

He said the scheme would support the training of members to enhance the work of the Guild and the Church. Mr Baah said in the first year of operation of the scheme, five second-cycle students would obtain financial support, while in the second year, five second cycle students and two tertiary level students would also get financial assistance. Right Reverend William R.A. Blankson, Bishop of the Somanya Diocese of the Methodist Church, urged the Guild to start income generating ventures such as snail and rabbit rearing as well as mushroom production to be able to generate more income.Mr Raymond Tawiah, Member of Parliament, Yilo Krobo, called on churches to pray for peaceful elections in December.