The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has called on religious leaders and pastors to rebuke politicians who turn out to their churches to seek protection of God through prayers.
The Council noted that politicians throng the various churches for prayers ahead of a major election but they are the same people who mostly incite the youth to engage in violence during elections.
Rev Abraham Opoku-Baffour, who is the Director of the Interfaith Ecumenical Relations at the Council, made the call at the Abatuo Ne Banbo forum organized by Onua TV/Onua FM and Connect FM on Wednesday.
The forum is under Media General’s Election Command Center and it is aimed at sensitizing the citizens that elections are not about violence.
Rev Opoku-Baffour said religious leaders must rebuke politicians because they support the youth to perpetrate violence.
“Pastors will need to be able to speak truth to power. They need to speak to the politicians who attend their churches against on the need to avoid inciting the youth to engage in violence and also openly rebuke those found to have been doing that,” he said.
“We will be disappointing Ghanaians if we are unable to tell these politicians to desist from the actions,” he added.
For her part, the Director of Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service, DSP Shilla Kesse Abayie Buckman revealed that over 62,000 security personnel would be deployed to various polling stations across the country for the December 7 elections.
She said the officers have been dawned from the police, immigration, fire service, prisons service, customs and the Ghana Armed Forces.
DSP Buckman said these officers are ready to provide protection to law abiding citizens during the polls.
“We have deployed over 62,794 policemen to watch over us during the 7th December elections” she said and also assured that the hot lines of the security services will be very active on election day to receive information from the public.
She further urged miscreants who intend to foment troubles the elections to desist from abort their plans because the law will deal with them ruthless.
“Do not listen to anybody who asks you to engage in troubles because when your are arrested you will be released because if you are arrested the law will deal with you,” she said.
The forum was organized to sensitize Ghanaians especially the youth on the need to desist from engaging in electoral violence.
Head of Onua TV and Onua FM, Dr Nana Appeanti noted in his opening address that security of the nation is paramount hence the need to make violence a no go area for the youth.
He explained that no nation has been able to develop amidst chaos and anarchy. To that end, “we must all try to stay away from troubles.”
By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|editors.3news.com|Ghana
