Ghana has no space for hate preachers – Akufo-Addo stresses

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has reiterated the preparedness of the security agencies to deal with persons who would incite hate in the country. The president is therefore urging Muslims and Ghanaians in general to look out for hate mongers among them and oppose them. President Akufo-Addo was addressing Muslims at the Eid-Ul-Fitr prayer ceremony at the Independence Square in Accra on Friday. Eid-Ul-Fitr is an important religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. “I urge you to be on the lookout for trouble makers and hate preachers amongst us. The security agencies would not hesitate to deal with those who incite hate not even when they do so in the name of Islam or Christianity,” the president stressed.

President Akufo-Addo had early on boasted of how both inter and intra religious cooperation has made the country to “stand unique” in West Africa. “Ghana is home to persons of virtually every religious denomination, they all go about their religious practices without hindrance. “We ought to guard this tradition of religious cooperation and tolerance jealously,” he urged. He prayed that just as the founder of Islam, Prophet Mohammed [peace be unto him] urged Muslims to ignore persons who provoked them during Ramadan, the peaceful posture should be inculcated into their daily lives in the face of provocation. Furthermore, the president said as Muslims were admonished by the prophet to see another Muslim as a brother or sister, same brotherliness culture should be extended to all Ghanaians. “When it comes to the spirit of living together, we are the envy of many nations,” he asserted. As a commitment to promote religious co-existence, he said both Muslim and Christian prayers are said in every Cabinet meeting. President Akufo-Addo briefly touched on what the newly created Ministry for Inner City and Zongo Development has been up to. A Zongo Development Fund has been created, he said, noting that development projects have started in many zongo communities. He cited desilting of the main river cutting through Asawase in the Ashanti Region as well as building of bridges to avert flood. By Isaac Essel | editors.3news.com | Ghana