The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called on President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration to take immediate measures to address the current economic challenges the country is facing to bring relief to the several citizens who are largely hit by the current economic difficulties.
In a statement issued after its 2023 Annual Conference held in Suyani from Saturday 18th to Sunday 19th November 2023, the Catholic Bishop Conference indicated that the current economic hardships are becoming unbearable for the majority of the citizens in the country
According to the statement, the Catholic Bishop Conference expressed deep concerns about the inability of the government to address the country’s problems despite the impact of the current global economic crisis which has affected the growth of Ghana’s economy.
The statement further noted that even though, the Catholic Bishop Conference appreciates government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the crisis on Ghanaians, there is a need for the government to take better steps to address the country’s unfortunate economic difficulties
“It is true that we as a country have not been able to manage our economy well. The poor management of the economy, coupled with a myriad of persistent challenges, has contributed to the current economic woes in which we find ourselves, requiring that we resort again to the IMF”
The Catholic Bishop Conference
Furthermore, the Catholic Bishop Conference indicated that to ensure the growth and sustainable development of the country, the government must use the right approach in implementing policies, reduce its size, minimize waste, promote the common good, review and remove all of the abuses related to benefits in ‘Article 71 of the Constitution of Ghana’.
Ghanaians Urged To Commit To Issues Of National Concerns
Moreover, the Conference of Catholic of Bishops called on all Ghanaians to commit themselves to issues of national concern in the spirit of co-responsibility in its statement issued at the end of its plenary.
The bishops lamented the persistence of the numerous challenges that have plagued the Ghanaian society, which it indicated it has been ‘cataloguing’ in previous communiques.
According to the Catholic Bishops Conference, the challenges that have plagued the country include the high cost of living, high inflation, youth unemployment, institutionalized bribery and corruption, abuses in procurement practices, and weak and ineffective institutions of governance.
More so, the Catholic Bishop Conference bemoaned the lack of patriotism, deplorable roads, carnage on roads, poverty, galamsey, abandoned and unfinished government projects, the culture of impunity, examination malpractices, violence, intimidation, attack on media men and women, human trafficking and abductions in the country.
The statement recounted that the various challenges the country faces in addition to the current global crisis, have contributed to its current socio-economic situation.
“In this light, we encourage citizens to bear their fair share of sacrifice for the sake of the next generation”.
The Catholic Bishop Conference
Additionally, the Catholic Bishop Conference acknowledged the declining growth of the membership of the Catholic Church in Ghana and outlined several measures to address the unfortunate development.
The 2023 Conference of the Catholic Bishop in Ghana was held under the theme, ‘fostering the growth of the Catholic Church in Ghana through Collaborative Ministry’
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has urged electorates to eschew tribal and religious affiliation in choosing the country’s next President.
According to him, competence should be the most important quality Ghanaians must consider in choosing a leader for the country.
The Chairman, who spoke at a town hall engagement with identifiable groups in Sunyani, stressed that the religious denomination of aspirants has no impact on competence when voted into office.
“What we want is an individual who will put our taxes to good use. The religious group the individual decides to join is none of our business. Only two towns in this country speak my native Nkoran language. If people decided to vote on tribal lines during the election of party officers I wouldn’t have gotten any votes. But people noticed my competence and gave me the chance and I want that replicated in the general election”.
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah
READALSO: Volta NDC Expresses Doubt Over Finance Minster’s Allocation To Flood Victims
