By Kofi Thompson
It is important that those who rule our nation do not mix religion with matters of state.
In extreme circumstances, it can lead to situations like northern Nigeria's Boko Haram terrorism and the sad plight of Coptics in Egypt.
It is extraordinary that in the 21st century information age it is possible for a cunning semi-literate, who claims God told him President Mahama will apparently die this year - and who is also said to claim that if he had been allowed to see the late President Mills, whose death he had also 'prophesied', he could have prevented Mills' death through prayers - to influence the actions of our rulers: who then proceed to sponsor many more of individuals of that ilk to go to Israel, apparently to prayer to God to stop President Mahama from dying this year. Incredible.
Will we all not die eventually? And if God is going to contact any mortal being in Ghana or anywhere else, surely it would be someone who has never had anything but pure thoughts since childhood, has never once sinned and has had the character of a saint since birth?
Using that criteria, how many of Ghana's small army of prophetic holy men and women, who run thriving commercial empires of Christian organisations, and mostly live like Arabian oil Sheiks - all with churches with fancy names that always end with the magical word "international" - would get a phone call from God to tell them President Mahama would die this year? Zilch.
With respect, those who run our nation must not allow themselves to be influenced by such pure nonsense on bamboo stilts.
Cowards, it is said, die many times before their death. We will each die at a point in time, once we are born into this world.
It would be tragic if our rulers became paralysed by fear as a result of such superstitious rubbish.
If it is of any comfort to them, since I am blessed in abundance, I direct their 'death' this year to myself - and the curses of that cunning crank too: and reverse both in the direction of that sly agent of the devil.
If we were immortal, allowing ourselves to be influenced by such superstitious clap-trap would be understandable. But we are not.
Death will come to each of us, when it will. Our task on this earth is to live life to the full whiles alive - using our God-given talents to make the world a better place for ourselves, our fellow humans as well as the entirety of the earth's flora and fauna.
We must not waste time fearing death or wishing it away. Come it will, to all of us. Period.
There is no justification for those who lead our nation to allow religious cranks making money fleecing the gullible and the troubled to influence state policy under any circumstances.
God has no reason to contact any human being to inform him or her about the time of death of President Mahama - or any other citizen of Ghana for that matter. What would be the point, I ask?
And with respect, it is nonsensical for anyone to say that he or she can pray to prevent another person from dying.
We were all born to eventually die at some point - that is the nature of human existence. Nothing unusual or tragic about that.
In any case, the best way for politicians wanting God's favour to live to a ripe old age, is simply to: publicly publish their assets, as well as that of their spouses; eschew corruption, and fight it with all their might; work hard to improve the lives of ordinary people; fight the powerful vested interests that milk Ghana no matter which political party is in power; and above all keep cranks claiming to be in contact with God at arms length when in office.
Death will come when it will - and no religious crank can either foresee or prevent it. A word to the wise...
Email: peakofi.thompson@gmail.com.
