The National Peace Council (NPC) together with the Christian Council of Ghana, the Office of the National Chief Imam, and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference have condemned the rising proliferation of religious intolerance and tribal sentiment in the country.
The National Peace Council in a statement emphasized the importance of citizens embracing religious and tribal diversity towards the growth and development of the country.
According to the National Peace Council, it is a collective responsibility on the part of all citizens to continue to coexist and tolerate the diversity in the country.
The statement noted that Article 21(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana recognizes and protects the right of all persons to freely practice any religion and to manifest such practice, hence all citizens must embrace such provisions.
“The National Peace Council (NPC) and our key partners, the Christian Council of Ghana, the Office of the National Chief Imam, and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference have observed with great concern some insinuations and publications on electronic and social media seeking to inflame religious passion into the 2024 General Elections. As the National Institution responsible for peace in the country, the NPC and our partners wish to remind all Ghanaians of the admirable manner by which we have lived together in peace, despite our Religious”,
National Peace Council
The National Peace Council statement further urged citizens to embrace the provisions of Article 21(3) of the 1992 Constitution which also provides for the rights of all Ghanaians to freely form or join political parties or participate in political activities subject to the qualifications and laws as mostly required under every free and democratic society.
National Peace Council Calls For Citizens To Refrain From Divisive Religious Publication
Moreover, the National Peace Council bemoaned the proliferation of divisive religious and tribal content both in the traditional media and on various social media platforms and warned against its potential damage to the country’s peace.
According to the statement, such religious and tribal divisive content by some sections of the public can disrupt the high sense of tolerance and harmony various religious and ethnic groups in the country enjoy.
“The NPC, the Christian Council of Ghana, the Office of the National Chief Imam, and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, respectfully request all individuals and groups who are engaging in such insinuations and publications to refrain from such destructive mission and should immediately desist from such actions as they tend to destroy our long cherish pluralistic friendly society”.
National Peace Council
It therefore admonished the public to desist from the publications of religious and tribal divisive content to preserve the unity among the various religious and ethnic groups in the country.
Meanwhile, James Kwabena Bomfeh, the former General Secretary of the Convention Peoples Party has lamented over some bad attitudes of Ghanaians despite the country’s enthusiasm for religion.
According to him even though over 70 per cent of Ghanaians professed Christianity as well as 19% professing Islam, the majority of them do not abide by the principles and values of their faith, a situation which has led to the high level of social vices in the country.
“If Ghanaians were Godly, they would dissociate themselves from social vices. If we know God, hate and hurt will vanish from our politics; will vanish from our public life, and will vanish from our civil life. If love prevails in our country, corruption will have no way. Cheating will have no way. Laziness will have no way,”
James Kwabena Bomfeh
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