Menu

Politicians urged not to sow seeds of discord

Mon, 19 Apr 2004 Source: GNA

Agona Kwanyako (C/R), April 19, GNA - Right Reverend Emmanuel A. Arongo, Presiding Bishop of the Joint Anglican Diocesans Council, has underscored the need for politicians to speak messages of peace rather than sow seeds of discord.

He said it was up to politicians to guard against the use of inflammatory words, adding that those who had nothing to offer the good people of this country should leave the political scene and not to incite the people against one another.

Rt. Rev. Arongo, who is also the Anglican Bishop of Tamale, made the call when he spoke at the ordination of Rev Father Isaac Ampadu Dankwa at the Holy Redeemer Anglican Church at Agona Kwanyako, on Sunday.

He urged the electorate to decipher the bad politicians from those whose campaign messages would help to alleviate their social problems. The Presiding Bishop pointed out that, "Without peace the nation cannot move forward or do any thing. If there is chaos everybody will run up an down, and life will be threatened, so peace is the number one thing that we all need in this country".

Rt. Rev. Arongo urged politicians to ensure that whatever they did or said would encompass peace in order to discover potentials that would help in the nation's development.

The Anglican Bishop of Tamale said in Europe people used their brains to manufacture things, but expressed regret that even though Ghana abounded in rich natural resources, the nation could move forward only when these resources were put to good use.

He cited the example of Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region where a lot of mangoes got rotten each year, adding that there was the need to put ourselves together and manage to get small-scale companies at the local levels to process fruits rather than indulge in divisive activities.

Rt. Rev. Arongo urged the two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress to avoid trading in insults in their campaigns to ensure peace and stability.

He advised them to desist from fighting with each other and do matured politics to help nurture the nation's infant democracy.

The clergyman advised Ghanaians, especially politicians, to always go to the law courts and seek interpretations on constitutional issues and to refrain from making vain promises, which they could not fulfil. Rt. Rev. Arongo reminded the electorate of their civic responsibility and duty to vote to elect their choice of people to represent them in Parliament.

The Anglican Bishop of Tamale reminded them that "when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers" adding that it was innocent Ghanaians who would bear the brunt of their misdeeds.

Source: GNA