Religious leaders urged not to fuel animosity between political parties

Nkrankwanta (B/A), Dec. 31, GNA - The Reverend John Yeboah, Dormaa District Pastor of Assemblies of God Church, has urged the leadership of religious organizations to refrain from fuelling animosity among political parties in the country.

Rev Yeboah, proprietor of God's Love International School at Nkrankwanta noted "the apparent bias of some clergy towards the unacceptable war of words that has rocked the political terrain since the coming into effect of the 1992 Constitution".

He was speaking on: "The role of discipline in nation-building" at the school's maiden Speech Day at Nkrankwanta, near Dormaa Ahenkro. "By virtue of our unique position in society, religious leaders are expected to be neutral and dispassionate in our contributions to matters bordering on partisan politics and constantly bring groups and individuals to order where they fall out of sequence", the pastor said. Rev Yeboah said the prevailing practice by some key politicians to subject their opponents to vile accusations and vulgar language was not worth emulating by the youth, as future leaders. "The situation is not only impacting negatively on Ghana's young democracy, but is also punching irreparable holes in the nation's long-cherished discipline along which the youth of today should hang", he added.

The pastor noted that the trend could only be reversed if all facets of society were prepared to lend credence to laid-down social etiquette upon which the nation's unity and respect was founded. He advised the youth to desist from blindly copying divisive tendencies that had engulfed some political, religious and traditional leaders whose aim was to put their personal ambitions before the nation's interests.

Rev Yeboah stressed: "There must be a cut-off point for all political vilifications and a melting point for divergent views", adding, individual whims and caprices ranked next to national interests.