The Member of Parliament for Assin South, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, has appealed to the President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to order the withdrawal of regulations restricting preaching inside moving commercial vehicles, describing the measure as a threat to evangelism.
Honourable Fordjour made the appeal in a post on X, where he recounted his years of preaching on commercial buses and vowed to continue sharing the Christian gospel despite the possibility of prosecution.
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee recalled beginning his evangelism activities on commercial buses in Tarkwa around 2007. He questioned why a practice he has undertaken for years is now attracting criminal penalties, particularly when his intention, just like other preachers, is to spread his religious beliefs among passengers.
Addressing the President directly, Honourable Fordjour called for an intervention to prevent pastors and evangelists from facing imprisonment for preaching during journeys. He also questioned the President’s position on this matter.
“Now preaching JESUS in buses is described as NUISANCE? Or this is also part of the unpopular policies your Ministers are pushing without your approval? Who is really in charge in this govt?”
Honourable John Ntim Fordjour
Honourable Fordjour’s objection centres on the implications of the regulation for Christians who regard evangelism as an essential part of their faith. He questioned whether the prospect of imprisonment could deter believers from fulfilling what they consider a religious responsibility, framing the matter as a challenge to the freedom to communicate their beliefs in public spaces.
Recounting his personal commitment to evangelism, the legislator declared that he would remain “undeterred” by the restrictions. The Assin South MP also drew attention to his book, Preaching Jesus, which he described as a product of his longstanding passion for evangelism. His latest intervention signals his determination to continue advocating for the practice, even as the legal restrictions are in force.
Ghana’s Road Traffic Law Sets Eight-Month Jail Term
Ghana’s Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), prescribe penalties for preaching and hawking inside moving public or commercial vehicles, with offenders facing a fine of between 10 and 50 penalty units, imprisonment for up to eight months, or both.
The relevant provision is Regulation 141, which addresses conduct classified as a nuisance on a public or commercial vehicle while it is in motion. The restriction applies to and hawking inside moving buses and trotros, meaning that the legal issue concerns the location and circumstances of the activity rather than a general prohibition on religious preaching.
The regulation reads, “a person shall not cause or permit a nuisance, including preaching and hawking, on a public or commercial vehicle while the vehicle is in motion.”
Under the current penalty framework, an offender may be fined between GH¢120 and GH¢600, based on the value of GH¢12 for each penalty unit. A court may also impose a prison term of up to eight months, or combine imprisonment with a fine, depending on the offence and the court’s decision. The maximum sentence does not mean that every person who breaches the provision will automatically receive eight months in prison.
Although the provision has recently generated public debate, the restriction itself predates the 2026 regulations. Regulation 116 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), already prohibited causing or permitting a nuisance, including preaching and hawking, on a public or commercial vehicle while it was moving.
The principal change under the 2026 regulations concerns the severity of the punishment. Under the previous framework, the maximum custodial sentence for the specified conduct was three months, while the new regulations provide for imprisonment of up to eight months
The broader legislative framework also includes the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1153), which received presidential assent on December 24, 2025. Parliament approved L.I. 2519 on May 28, 2026, establishing updated requirements and penalties for a range of road traffic offences.
The preaching provision has nevertheless raised questions about how road safety rules interact with religious expression in Ghana, where evangelism on commercial buses has become familiar to many passengers. Some preachers use journeys to share religious messages, while others solicit contributions or distribute religious material during trips.
However, the restriction is specific to moving public or commercial vehicles. It should not be interpreted as a blanket ban on preaching in churches, on campuses, in markets or on streets, although other laws or local rules may apply to particular locations and activities.
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