I’m not paid as Peace Council Chairman – Rev. Asante

The Chairman of the National Peace Council, Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante has dismissed claims that members of the council are paid huge sums of salaries and allowances.

Speaking on Starr Chat Wednesday, the former presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana told host Bola Ray that being a member of the Peace Council is a selfless job that does not come with any form monthly salary.

“People are misinformed, they think that it is a full time job but I am not paid, none of the members are paid. Like every board when you sit you have to be given some allowance but I can tell you that for the four years that we have been there, I can count on my fingers how many times that we have sat and we have been given allowance.

“So we are not paid, we have had even logistics problems, so the people who sit back and say that they are paid and are being given fat salaries, why would I bother myself at this age still teaching?, it is the Methodist Church that pays me to eat, I teach to eat, I write books to eat.

“I don’t have an office...we have been pushing to get an office and we have been given some rickety building, we don’t have it. We have been served on two occasions with ejection because that building belongs to some petrol company...I don’t have an office. So people should get themselves informed before they talk,” Prof. Martey said.

Profile of Most. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante

He completed his elementary education at the Ejura Local Authority Anglican Middle School in 1965. His secondary education was terminated due to financial difficulties. This initial setback did not deter him. Emmanuel studied privately to upgrade himself.

Most Rev. Prof.Asante gained admission to pursue theological studies at the newly established Christian Service College (now Christian Service University College) in 1974. After graduating with a Diploma in Biblical Studies, he continued his theological Education at the London Bible College (now London School of Theology) in U.K., graduating with a Cambridge Certificate in Religious Studies and a College Diploma.

He then pursued ‘A’ level studies in Sociology and Government whiles working to raise funds for further studies.

Emmanuel’s insatiable thirst for theological education led him to the Federated Universities of Saint Paul and Ottawa in Canada where he pursued studies in Philosophy and Theology from 1980-1986.

Most Rev. Prof Asante has two Bachelors of Theology (Civil and Ecclesiastic), Master of Arts in Theology and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the Federated Institutions of Saint Paul and Ottawa Universities.

He was ordained as a Pastor in 1986 on the recommendation of the Emmanuel United Church in Ottawa where he did his pastoral internship; He has served the Methodist Church, Ghana in various capacities such as Circuit Minister, Superintendent Minister, Synod Secretary and Bishop of the Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church. He also served as Lecturer, Vice-Principal, Academic Dean, and President at Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra.

The Most Rev. Asante has served in various capacities in a number of Ecumenical bodies as a theological consultant for the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa since 1996. He was also the Methodist Chaplain of the Accra Ridge Church, 1994-1998 and the Senior Minister, Trinity United Church, 1999-2006.

He also served as a member of the Judicial Council of Ghana from 2002-2009 and as a member of the Ejura-Sekodumasi District Assembly, 2006-2009.

On the academic front, Most Rev. Asante served as Adjunct Lecturer, Christian Service University College, 1987-1994, Chairman of Council, Christian Service College, 1992-1994, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor, Trinity Theological Seminary, 1994-2006, Head of Department of Religious Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 2006-2009.

He has also served as an external examiner in Religious Studies in a number of tertiary institutions in the country and as a consultant on Religious Studies, National Accreditation Board. He has a number of publications to his credit.

He is married to Comfort and they are blessed with three adult sons: Emmanuel, Paul and Jerry and four grandchildren.