Ghana's Problems- Praying in Israel Is Not The Solution

Ghana's Myriad of Problems- Praying in Israel Is Not The Solution- Emulate Them!

Good Morning Folks,

I might probably step on a few toes, but I am doing it for mother Ghana. Is sad that not only a significant number of our people are ignorant, a lot of the leaders are as well. Yes we are a very religious people by nature because of our history and where we came from. The Environment we live in also makes us so. But lets put our thinking cups on for a bit.

How can our non performing leaders, who mismanage everything, do all the wrong things, and think sponsoring pastors to Israel ,to go and pray for the nation is the solution? Its pure ignorance and downright xxxxxxxx! Its true most of us are Christians, and Its also true the history of the bible and the Christo - Judaic Religion, which most of us adhere to , originated from lands in the Middle east, where modern day Israel is part of.

However in Modern day Israel apart from a few traditional Jewish faithfuls, most people in Israel, don't even go to church or pray.

Yet Look at what they have achieved? (see attached Brenthurst Paper from the Brenthurst Foundation published in 2011). Dont you think we should be emulating some of the Good things they are doing, given the modern state of Israel and the Modern state of Ghana came into being around the same time?? They have achieved this because they had LEADERS WHO HAD THEIR HEADS SCREWED ON! Period.

I am not a supporter of some of their brutal repressive activities against the Palestinians because I have Ghanaian- Palistinian relations in my family, so naturally I shall bat for the Palistinian people, to be treated with fairness, have their own home land and freedom. The state of Israel has committed some very serious crimes against the Palestinian People that the international Community needs to hold them to account for. However I think the modern state of Israel has done well, with what they have achieved so far in their quest for nation building. This is even an. The fact that ISRAEL IS AN ARTIFICIAL NATION, and the fact that they live in a tough neighbourhood, and repressing and brutally occupying their neighbours, does not mean I am not impressed with what they have achieved this past 60 years. Given the State of Israel was created just about the same time that Ghana got its independence, it would be untrue for anyone to say or suggest, they are not impressed with what that nation has achieved.

Israeli Companies are even now exploiting Ghana big time.

Most of the Israeli Companies operating in Ghana come to Ghana without any FINANCE or Money but they leave as Multi Millionaires. Check the case of Sonitra,Amandi, Rollida, Superlock Technologies, and the company with the Jathropa Plantation which has taken over huge swathes of cheap fertile land in Ghana. I have even forgot Israeli Hapoalim Bank has given $120 million Dollars to Tahal Engineering to build water systems and in Ghana the Kwahu Mountains, and may be in Abetifi, to date the work has not been completed yet (Doc Smile).

I understand the payback for Ghana, money and debt that we shall owe Hapoalim Bank, is in the region of over $250 million Dollars , (adeeennng muee Gyimiiiiii) ? , this is in twi, the english translation is, are we xxxxxts ??

The same Hapoalim Bank and some other Israeli financial institutions are funding of the construction of a 600 Bed University Hospital at the University of Ghana Legon. http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/11/25/ghana-gets-217m-israeli-loan-to-begin-construction-of-600-bed-legon-teaching-hospital/

Guess how much Ghana is going to pay back to Hapoalim Bank when the work is completed and the accounts needs to be settled??? Go find out for yourself. So you see there is nothing like a FREE LUNCH in this world we live in.

Lets get one thing straight, Israel's achievements in Science, Agriculture, Irrigation , Pharmaceuticals , construction, etc etc is NOT as a result of prayers.

But rather as a result of hard work by their leaders, selflessness, planning executing and doing the right things. In Israel the Laws work. EVEN When even Prime Ministers and Presidents fall foul of the Law they go to Jail. In Israel the state collects taxes, they have created DATA BASES for everything, even they know how many donkeys their enemies have! The state of Israel has not got any natural Resources, Not even water or fertile lands like we have in abundance in Ghana! Ghanaian Leaders Thinkoooo Think! Habaaa!!!!

Did they do it with prayers?

Definitely Not!

Most Israelis are NOT RELIGIOUS! They just do the right things almost all the time.

They think of the welfare of their citizens.

I strongly believe that Ghanaians, and our Leaders do these things out of IGNORANCE! Now see the PDF attachment, and let our Leaders Learn. Let our Leaders Open their eyes and let our Leaders do the RIGHT THINGS! That is the Only solution. Just sharing from the knowledge of hard Knocks. What does it have to take for our Leaders to start using their God Given Brains to think? No body is going to come and develop that rich country of ours for us apart from ourselves. Even Anglo Gold Ashanti would't! I wish someone can pass this document on the the current President of the Fourth Republic and the Leadership of Ghana to stop the Comedy and theatrics. We are tired!

They have been elected to RUN A GOVERNMENT and deliver improved livelihoods to poor suffering citizens. They are very very well educated.

We need to STOP THE CIRCUS!! KNOWLEDGE IS EVERYTHING!

Good Morning!

P.s Dr Atuguba are there? Please pass the document on to the President, he needs to understand how Israel did it and emulate for us, we are suffering and prayers alone does not put food on the table. What our President needs to understand is , in Israel THEY DONT GIVE THINGS TO GOD! Please read about Israel's African Affairs in this Blog, Link below http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/israels-africa-problem/ Israel’s African affairDECEMBER 15, 2012, 12:30 PM 23EmailPrintShareRama Musa is a Sierra Leone-born American writer… [More]Rama's websiteA vicious wave of anti-African sentiment is engulfing Israel. A week ago, border agents at the Ben Gurion International Airportdeported a visa-carrying South Sudanese student. He’s an “infiltrator,” they say.In May, rioters in south Tel Aviv torched African-owned shops and assaulted immigrants. Israel’s Interior Minister Eli Yishaicompared African asylum seekers to “the Iranian threat.” He ev

See what the Government of Ghana says:

Gov’t Says Pastors Trip To Jerusalem Costs $600,000 Not $2 million.Read the press statement from the ‘Jerusalem Pilgrimage Coordinator’.BibleMy attention has been drawn to media reports regarding a planned pilgrimage of some 200 Ghanaian Pastors to Jerusalem, Israel, under the auspices of the Ghana government.The report contains a lot of inaccuracies and misleading assertions intended to cause mischief, ridicule and public disaffection for the government.Ordinarily, I would have ignored these frivolous reports and treated them with the contempt they deserve. However, I deem it necessary to state the facts in order to disabuse the minds of right thinking and discerning Ghanaians of the negative impression the reports seeks to create.The media crusade led by the Daily Guide Newspaper in their Tuesday, March 12, 2013 edition and another on Thursday, March 14, 2013 edition with issue number “NO. 061/13” stated that the government is sponsoring some 200 Pastors affiliated to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Israel at the cost of 2million dollars. In addition, the reports claimed that the intention of the sponsorship was to show appreciation to the Pastors for supporting the NDC, and also enable them to pray in Jerusalem for President John Dramani Mahama to avert a doomsday prophecy about his life.The Daily Guide newspaper report claimed that each Pastor would be given $10,000 thus amounting to $2million.This ridiculous claim is supposed to be for only their per-diem.Further, the reports also stated that the General Overseer of the Royal House Chapel International was part of the trip, “particularly due to his close relations with the organizer of the trip, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Campaign Co-ordinator of the John Dramani Mahama 2012 Presidential Campaign and currently the Minister of Youth and Sports.

”The agenda to create a sensational news story for gossip and discussion can be seen by the claim that some of the Pastors and groups have rejected the offer because they deem it wrong to spend a huge sum of money on a pilgrimage when the government needs resources to tackle socio -economic problems.Clearly, the above stated issues and points raised by the said paper are total fabrications and a pack of lies geared at tarnishing the image of the President and government.Simple Facts of the Christian Pilgrimage to Jerusalem are as follows:Over the years, various Christian and Church organizations have called on government to sponsor and address the various challenges they have encountered during their holy trips to Israel. It is in response to these several calls that Government then decided to facilitate and coordinate the Pilot Pilgrimage to Israel, to help address some of the challenges Christian groups have encountered on past trips which is nothing new just as government has been doing for the Holy Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj to Mecca.In the process, and with the increase in the number of pilgrims, some Ghanaian philanthropists offered to provide sponsorship for this year’s trip.

Government then held several discussions and consultation meetings with key stakeholders and subsequently, the decision was duly communicated to the leadership of the various Christian bodies through official letters and phone calls.Contrary to claims that this is a thank you gesture to Pastors affiliated to the NDC party, government had no role in the selection process. It is important to note that, Government left it to the various groups to use their own criteria to select prospective pilgrims based on the number allotted to them.As a matter of fact, as at the time of writing this Release, we are yet to receive a list from the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, where , Rev Sam Korankye Ankrah is the Vice Chairman. This exposes the total fabrications the Daily Guild Newspaper has carved out to say that the General Overseer of the Royal House Chapel International was part of the trip, “particularly due to his close relations with the organizer of the trip, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.Again, my role for the trip was to coordinate the Pilot Pilgrimage for the government and has nothing to do with my former position as the John Mahama 2012 Campaign Coordinator.A number of the Christian bodies welcomed the initiative, however although the Christian Council of Ghana, were happy with the initiative they responded in a letter that they could not provide representatives for the trip because of time constraints and NOT because they did not want to participate as stated by the said paper. In fact they intimated in their letter to be part of any subsequent pilgrimages when given sufficient notice.

The total cost of the sponsorship package for the 200 pilgrims which includes Airfare, hotels and feeding is approximately 600,000 dollars, and not 2million US dollars as sensationally claimed by the false reports. It is absolutely untrue that each pilgrim will be given $10,000 as per diem.It is also untrue that during the tenure of late Prof. JEA Mills, he organized a similar trip and gave each person $10,000 as per diem.

Again for the records, the government is NOT sponsoring the trip from the state coffers but only facilitating and coordinating the process and has no involvement in the selection of the prospective pilgrims from the various bodies that would suggest an “NDC Pastors Pilgrimage.”Finally, it is deeply heart-warming that even at the time of releasing this statement, several Christian organizations, churches and pastors have requested, appealed and submitted names to be added to the list. For them, the opportunity to trace the footsteps of Jesus Christ and walk where he walked, pray for their families, their churches and their country Ghana, is an opportunity they do not want to miss and a potential life transforming event.

Signed by

Hon. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Coordinator, Jerusalem pilgrimage