John Dramani Mahama, the former President, has disclosed that it is an enormous honor for him to participate in the two-day event that the Church of Pentecost (COP) arranged.
The event, which has as its topic: “Moral Vision and National Development”, is a first for any institution and has been made possible by the attendance of former Presidents, members of the various security services, and dignitaries from other nations.
In his speech, former President John Dramani Mahama recognized the presence of numerous individuals, including Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Speaker of the House, Alban S.K. Bagbin, Her Ladyship, Chief Justice Torkonoo, the former President John Agyekum Kuffuor, the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, and others.
He asserted that this is the first unique event to take place in this nation. Noting that the Church of Pentecost is the largest Pentecostal Congregation in Ghana with more than 20,000 churches nationwide, he stated that it is appropriate and only natural for it to launch such a project.
He averred that despite attempts by his church (the Assemblies of God) to catch up, COP has continued to advance.
“It is normal for our church groups and Muslim leaders to invite us for crusades and qur’anic recitations. As far as I can remember, this is my first time to be invited and to attend a massive gathering such as this; dedicated not to the subject of the Divine but rather, to a secular discourse on the issue of moral vision and national development.
“I wish this conference every success, as we navigate what is quite a complicated subject. As I’ve always advocated, broad consultation is important for consensus building on all challenges that face us as a nation. And it helped me very well when I was President.”
John Dramani Mahama
He further stated that one such forum that assisted the nation in stabilizing its economy, was the Senchi forum; where all relevant parties gathered to discuss the economy.
The former President also claimed that the get-fund, which he claimed has grown to be the single biggest and most effective tool for supplying education and infrastructure across the nation, was born at the stakeholders’ conference on education, held under late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
“And I dare say, the Church of Pentecost has set the tone and it is my hope our President and leaders will take a queue to create the opportunity for cross fertilization on vex issues and challenges that face our country, such as our current economic crisis and important issues like the implementation of the free SHS.
“Consensus building does not diminish a leader, it rather projects a leader’s strength in carrying along with his vision, the people that he needs. Over the next two days, Ghanaians from all walks of life, under the auspices of the church of Pentecost will have the opportunity to dialogue on the issue of moral vision and national development.”
John Dramani Mahama
This Is The Right Time For This Conference
The NDC Flagbearer stated that this event could not have come at a better moment, given the numerous problems and crises the world is currently experiencing, including conflicts, the economic crisis, pandemics like the recent COVID-19, climate change, and environmental threats to humankind’s basic existence.
Additionally, he noted that recent advancements in 5G and artificial intelligence are anticipated to alter how life is currently lived.
According to him, Ghana is seeing a loss of its traditional values, a Westernization of its societies, and the adoption of foreign cultures brought in from abroad.
“So, the question one might ask is what happened to our value of cleanliness? Why are cities so dirty? When we were growing up as children, we all woke up early in the morning to sweep around our compound houses. What happened to that ethic? What happened to our value of being each his brother’s keeper?
“Where communal assistance to each other on our farms and in other tasks that we had to undertake, were easily available. Why do we celebrate persons who today are wealthy with dubious sources of income and yet, society is not concerned what the source of income is and its only about the persons wealth. Ladies and gentlemen, ethics have a direct impact on national development.”
John Dramani Mahama
As stated by Mr. Mahama, who claimed to have studied history, every civilization that has perished throughout history, has done so after losing its sense of morality and ethics. Therefore, he prayed that Ghana would keep its moral compass intact, so that it could continue to provide national progress, prosperity, and dignity for its citizens.
“I’ve looked at your list of speakers and I can say confidently that they will do justice to the theme of this conference and therefore, I have no other task than to wish you every success over the next two days in this National Development Dialogue. I thank you very much, God bless you.”
John Dramani Mahama
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