Politicians cautioned against using church functions for campaigns
Very Reverend De Graft Obiri, Superintendent Minister of Ekumfi Circuit of the Methodist Church, has cautioned politicians against using church events as platforms to champion their political activities.
“Though the church exists in the state and the politician might be a member of the church, political activities must not be infused into church functions in order to keep the neutrality of the church,” he said.
Rev. Obiri made the call at a four-day annual camp meeting of the Church, at Ekumfi Abor, near Mankessim in the Mfantseman Municipality, following activities and utterances by opposing politicians who were invited to the event, which nearly marred the programme.
He said that even though there was the need for the promotion of Church-State collaboration towards national development, nothing untoward should be done to negate the neutrality of the church in party politics.
Rev Obiri called on leaders of the country to obey God in order not to lead the people to doom.
Mr Ato Cudjoe, the only person who picked forms to contest the New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries in the Mfantseman East Constituency, took advantage of the meeting to launch his political campaign while Mr George Kuntu Blankson, NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, donated GH¢1,000 to the church towards the acquisition of a vehicle for evangelism.
Mr Blankson said he had already donated a computer for the youth of Eyisam Methodist Church, 100 bags of cement towards the construction of Essuehyia Methodist Church, materials for the fixing of doors and windows of the Methodist Church at Eyisam and a corn milling machine for the youth to generate income to support their activities.
Mrs Rose Ernestina Newman, Lay Chairman of the Winneba Diocese of the Church, expressed concern about the spate of indiscipline among the youth and appealed to the church to initiate effective measures to curb the practice.
She called on adults to support programmes of the youth of the church to enable them to develop their potentials for national development.
Source: GNA