President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday stressed the need for Ghanaians to protect and uphold multi-party democracy as enshrined in the country's Constitution.
He said Ghanaians should be patient in their support for the Constitution as the only way to guarantee its existence adding, "anybody who preach to Ghanaians to take the law into their own hands, cannot mean well for Ghana.
"Nobody should pray for trouble in Ghana and think he would run away. We should all try to respect the basic laws of the country because this is the way to give ourselves good future", he said.
President Kufuor said this when Sheik Osman Nuhu Sharabutu, National Chief Imam, led a delegation of Moslem Chiefs to pay a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu. He said under multi-party democracy, political parties reflected opinions of a group of people should not be enemies of those who hold different views.
The existence of different political parties gives the people the opportunity to have alternatives. President Kufuor said when the visions and opinions of the ruling government was translated positively for the people, it was their choice to return it into power at the end of its four-year term or vote it out and ask another political party to rule.
"At the end of the day, political parties, should exist to benefit the people and give choice to them from time to time. If only one person is allowed to rule for a long period, he would abuse the power entrusted to him and that is not good", he said.
President Kufuor gave the assurance that the government would not succumb to partisanship to divide the ranks of the people but wanted to be treated as others would like to be treated when in power. He said the Islamic religion as a source of peace and harmony, Muslims should continue to pray for wisdom and well-being of the government and God to bless the land and the people.
President Kufuor said unfortunately, some people in the country wanted to take advantage of the misfortune of people to bring trouble because whatever problem that occurred, they tried to use it to divide the people, adding, " they see the problem and politicise it and bring division among brothers to portray the government as a bad one.
"We are praying to God to open the eyes of all Ghanaians to see the truth because that is the only way to bring prosperity to the country for all of us to live in. Use your position to pray to God to reform such people."
In an appeal for the early burial of their deceased colleagues, President Kufuor said the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council would meet to take a decision. Sheik Ibrahim C. Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister, who led the delegation, said they wanted to brief President Kufuor about a five-week trip the National Chief Imam undertook to the United States and Canada.
He said during their interaction, they made contacts for investments in hydro-electricity and other related activities in Ghana and some of them, pledged to offer computers to schools and scholarships to some students. Sheik Quaye said Sheik Hassan Cissie, Senegalese National Imam, who is also the Head of Tijania Movement worldwide, would pay a visit to Ghana soon.
