Religious groups need to do more to prevent conflicts - Father Osei-Poku

The Reverend Father Patrick Osei-Poku, Parish Priest of the Kotei Catholic Church has appealed to religious groups to do more to help defuse tension and conflicts in the society.

He said they should use their tremendous influence with the people to discourage them from acts of violence and lawlessness and described the recent reported disturbances in parts of the country as disturbing.

The Rev. Father Osei-Poku said this when addressing the annual seminar of the German Catholic Church Scholarship Beneficiaries in the middle sector in Kumasi.

“Ingredients for peaceful election, the role of the Christian intellectual” was the theme of the event.

It was held under the auspices of the German Catholic Church Scholarship Agency, which has been supporting students from developing nations across the world.

Rev. Father Osei-Poku said there was the need for all to help fight injustices, discrimination and deprivation in every form.

Miss Georgina Opoku-Amankwah, a legal practitioner, said the Electoral Commission and other constitutional bodies like the Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice and the National Commission for Civic Education should be adequately resourced to effectively carry out their functions.

She said the public must be properly educated to have better understanding of their civic responsibilities and rights in order to rid the upcoming general polls of needless tension.

Mr. Benedict Arkorh, the Middle Sector Coordinator of the Association, appealed to the people to put the nation ahead of individual ambitions and convenience.**