V/R Minister joins Muslims to celebrate festival

Ho, Feb. 1, GNA - Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister has exhorted Muslims not only to seek to know Allah but acknowledge him so that His attributes would reflect in them.

He said it is an acknowledgement Him, that would make his followers, "gracious and merciful in their dealings with others."

Mr Owusu-Yeboa was addressing Muslims after their prayers to mark the Eid-Ul Adha, at the Police Depot Park in Ho, on Sunday.

He urged Muslims to allow the obedience exhibited by the Holy Prophet Mohammed, in his relations with Allah, to rule their lives, because the reward for obedience, is enormous blessings.

Mr Owusu-Yeboa also urged Muslims to be law abiding and have the courage to condemn war mongers and those who promote division based on tribe, religion and political party affiliation.

He asked Muslim leaders to encourage their people, who were qualified, to register when the voters registration exercise opened, saying that, it was only when they did that they could vote for the candidate or Party, who, in their opinion, could provide the freedoms of religion and others that they cherished.

Alhaji Hamza Umar, Regional Chief Imam, a message said, obedience to Allah required a Muslim to show respect to his parents, elders and also submit to the authority of the state.

He expressed regrets about the lukewarm attitude of some Muslims towards secular education, saying that, "the war of the sword is ended, the only war to fight now is to give education to our children". Alhaji Umar decried expenditure on frivolous things by Muslims to the detriment of the education of their children.

He thanked government for providing a three-unit classroom block for the Zongo Community but pleaded that a library be added to facilitate learning and teaching.

Alhaji Umar said Muslims were not doing much in the fight against HIV/AIDS and advised that they kept to the Koran's edict that sex was only for the married, as one way of checking the spread of the cancer. The Regional Minister later presented a cow and five bags of rice on behalf of the President to the Muslim community.

At Hohoe, Alhaji Alhasan Sani, led the prayers for the President, the government and the nation.

Later, Mr Peter Johnny Amewu, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate for Hohoe-North Constituency, during a courtesy call on Alhaji Sani urged every qualified Ghanaian, to register for the coming elections. He called on Muslims to vote for the sitting government to enable it continue with its development programmes.

Mr Amewu also called on Alhaji Merigah, the Hohoe Zongo Chief to congratulate him and wish him well on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Adha. 01 Feb. 04