Priest urges congregation to desist from robbing the vulnerable

Reverend Father Roch Akolgo, a Catholic Priest at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish in Bolgatanga has warned Ghanaians, especially Christians to desist from marginalising and robbing the vulnerable in society.

He said most of the times people in authority discriminated against the ordinary persons in society particularly in the distribution of the national cake and provision of social amenities for self interest.

The Priest indicated that, just like the time of Jesus Christ, when the soldiers were paid to beat up Jesus and crucify him, the same soldiers further robbed Jesus of his garments, and added that those kinds of soldiers still existed in the world today.

Reverend Akolgo, who said this in a homily during the celebration of the Easter festivities in Bolgatanga, indicated that until people, especially Christians desisted from these acts, the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ would be meaningless in their lives.

Reverend Akolgo indicated that discrimination and robbery of the poor in society cut across every sector, including work places, schools, hospitals, and market places.

Citing instances, where the vulnerable were mostly robbed, he explained that, “our authorities sometimes would gather, loot and share. We are supposed to pay taxes to the government so that government would intend take good care of us, by providing schools, hospitals among others.

The Priest lamented instances, where people paid for services when those services were supposed to be rendered free especially in the health sector, where patients were forced to pay for services when those services were captured under benefit package of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

He said, “do not think about the government alone, think about yourself, how many times have you not robbed the poor in our society? Many people have workers under them and it would get to the end of the month and they are not paid, meanwhile you have been getting profit and enjoying with friends leaving poor workers to be wallowing in poverty.”

“There are instances, where people have gone through pain, they are not paid and their allowances too you sit on them, you rob the poor to buy cars and build houses, I say to you today that, that is blood money.”

He said God loved humanity and that was why he sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ and it was disheartening to note that people inflicted pains on each other for selfish gains.

Reverend Akolgo admonished Christians to see the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as a way to bury their sins and adopt new life that was pleasing to God and the development of humanity.