The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo Addo, has indicated that the constitution guarantees freedom of worship to citizens in the country.
Speaking at this year’s Eid ul-Fitr celebration, he admonished citizens to tolerate each other’s religion. This, he said, is because religious tolerance was in existence before the constitution and the laws.
“On this special day, it is worth reminding ourselves that;the national constitution guarantees freedom of worship for all its citizens. Article 21 (C) states that all persons shall have the right and freedom to practice any religion and to manifest such practice.”
Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo further said educational institutions should not be a place to settle religious scores. This, he said, is because throughout the years, the schools have managed to find a reasonable,;balanced atmosphere to enable young people to flourish and this has served the nation well.
“The schools have evolved and adapted their practices to suit the times;and I would urge that we do not turn them into the place to fight ideological battles.”
Akufo-Addo
School is a socializing ground for kids
According to him, schools are the first place for young kids to socialize and learn more about each other’s religious beliefs, amongst others and urged for these fundamentals to be upheld.
“We should be proud that our national Constitution simply reinforces these characteristics,;and it should, therefore, be easy for us to uphold these basic and fundamental tenets that hold us together. The boarding schools in our country have traditionally served as the training grounds in learning about each other, about tolerance and losing the fear of the unknown. That is where young Ghanaians learn to eat each other’s food, that is where they learn songs and dances of the different parts of the country and also where they learn about each other’s religion and a place for lifelong friendships are forged.”
Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo then thanked the national Chief Imam for the leadership shown in the midst of the matter. He also thanked the Muslim community for their undying support to the projects his government is currently undertaking.
“The National Chief Imam is the very epitome of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. He continues to make our country the envy of the world for its religious tolerance. His inter and intra-religious co-operation is amazing and sets a good tone for the Christians among the Muslim communities in our country for which we owe him a great debt of gratitude.
“I thank the Muslim community in Ghana for the continued support for my programme of transformation. Insha Allah, I shall continue to work with and for you for the peace, progress and prosperity of our country. Jama, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharabutu, for his exemplary leadership not only of the Muslim flock but also of our country generally.”
Akufo-Addo
