Violence-free elections should be the concern of all

Bekwai (Ash), July 14, GNA - Efforts at ensuring peaceful and violence-free elections in December should be the concern of all Ghanaians, especially Christians.

The Venerable John Kingsley Mensah, the Archdeacon of the Bekwai Archdeaconry of the Anglican Church, who made the call, urged Christians to start praying to God for the nation to observe peaceful elections. Speaking at a special church service for the aged at Saint Francis Anglican Parish at Bekwai on Sunday, Venerable Mensah noted that the country was peaceful and that "we should all do everything possible to sustain the peace".

Among the aged of the church who attended the service were 92-year-old Madam Margaret Adarkwah and 82-year-old Leticia Mensah. The Archdeacon expressed regret that, because of party politics some families were divided to the extent of neglecting their aged parents.

He stressed the need for Ghanaians to co-exist and tolerate each other's views instead of allowing politics to divide the nation. Venerable Mensah criticised the youth, especially those who as a result of their beliefs in new doctrines labelled their aged relatives as witches and thereby left them to be desolate.

The Archdeacon praised the aged for their contributions to the church and the society, stressing that, "we have to continuously honour them by recognising their good works".

Venerable Mensah reminded Christians of the individual talents God had given them and urged them to translate those talents into good use for the benefit of mankind.

Mrs Elizabeth Owusu Abebrese, the enrolling member of the church's mothers' union, said the service for the aged was to afford them the opportunity to re-fellowship with the younger folks. She said the aged had at various stages helped the church to grow and now that they were old and no more attending church service "we have to remember them in this way now that there is life in them." The mothers' union feted them after the church service.