Deal with state plunderers - SDA to Nana Addo

The Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) Church has reiterated the call on the Nana Akufo-Addo government to prosecute state looters, as the surest way of ridding Ghana of bribery and corruption.

The church has charged President Akufo-Addo to collect state monies meant for the good people of Ghana, which have rather ended up in the pockets of some individual Ghanaian politicians.

Pastor Kwame Kwanin Boakye, President of the Northern Ghana SDA Union Mission, during a media encounter, charged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government: “Anyone who has stolen money belonging to Ghana should be referred to the judiciary for trial, and let the law take its course.”

The occasion was a colourful ordination service held in honour of pastors Israel Oheneba Bobieh, Paul Opoku Boateng and Abraham Kofi Anane at the Bantama SDA Church, by the Northern Ghana Union Mission of the SDA Church.

The SDA Pastor, referring to Deuteronomy 16:20, which frowns on bribery and corruption, encouraged the Akufo-Addo led government to root out corruption from Ghana, because, “We want to see Ghana developed from its own resources, no matter how minimal.”

Pastor Boakye bemoaned the current political situation, where one person takes away money belonging to the state, and charged the government to “help us end this corruption canker in Ghana.”

Touching on the seeming commotion at the Electoral Commission (EC), Pastor Kwanin Boakye charged the government to establish the truth and maintain the integrity of the institution that has gained international recognition.

“We are pleading with government to treat the EC turmoil according to the dictates and provision of the Constitution, especially when the national kitty is involved. We want to see justice maintained,” he pleaded.

The SDA Minister of the Gospel stressed that they (Christians) want to see bribery and corruption out of our political system, as it would help the youth, and even the church, to participate fully in nation-building.

“If we break our backs and pay taxes while the church builds schools and other projects, only for politicians to embezzle state coffers, the effect would be zero,” he pointed out.

He inferred that those monies that could have gone into creating employment, or supporting the needy, go into single private pockets at the expense of the taxpayer.

Pastor Kwame Kwanin Boakye stated: “If I steal money which belongs to the state, I ought to be prosecuted and the money retrieved,” hence our call on the new government to sit up and maintain justice, especially, in terms of our finances.”

However, much as the church would want to see corruption and state looters dealt with, the pastor entreated the Presidency to desist from using threats and other uncivilised approaches to track suspected state looters, and pledged SDA’s total support for all interventions by the government towards national development.

He explained that the SDA Church supports good policies like the incoming free education, and encouraged children to take advantage of it.

Pastor Boakye indicated that the church was contributing her part, so the government should sit up and contribute its quota for a remarkable economic growth in Ghana.