Ghanaians asked to maintain peace

Koforidua, Feb. 29, GNA - The Minister of Interior, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, on Sunday urged Ghanaians to maintain the prevailing peace and unity in the country despite their political differences. He said the government believed in the power of God in maintaining peace to enable it govern the country and requested religious bodies to pray ceaselessly for the nation.

Mr Owusu Agyeman was speaking at an inter-denominational thanksgiving service at Koforidua, organised by the New Juaben Local Council of Churches (LCC) to mark the 47th Independence anniversary and to pray for a peaceful election year.

The service was attended by some District Chief Executives in the Eastern Region and worshipers from the over 200 churches affiliated to the Council at the Jackson Park.

Prayers were said for the nation, government officials, members of the Electoral Commission, security agencies, the media and political parties.

The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Gustav Narh Dometey, noted that the country needed love and peace for development. He said the NPP government was being guided by "where we came from and where to take the country to under the leadership of Jesus Christ."

In a sermon, Apostle Appiah Agyekum of the Church of Pentecost, called on the country's succeeding governments to seek national interest by ensuring that while an "outgoing administration does not dissipate national resources under their care, the incoming one should also continue with the projects it inherited."

He called for humility and honesty from all sections of the society, especially, those in leadership positions; so that the country would continue to receive the blessings of God rather that to incur His wrath because of selfishness and wicked tendencies.

Apostle Agyekum cautioned politicians who issued threats of national calamity if they failed to fulfil their desires to desist from the tendency in order to preserve the peace in the country. Feb. 29, 04