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2022 marks new beginnings; Religious leaders
They shared their views on peace and security, national development, religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence, protecting the environment, false prophecies and the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill.
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The leaders called on the Parliament of Ghana to put the nation first in its deliberations and asked the government to make broader consultations on all important national issues before implementing national policies.
The religious leaders who gave their New Year messages to The Mirror were the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Philip Naameh; Convener, Executive Council, United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches (UDOLGC), Bishop Emmanuel L. Nterful; the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu; and the Founder and Apostle General of Royalhouse Chapel International, Most Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah.
‘Depend on God’
Bishop Nterful reminded the world that Jesus Christ remained the hope of mankind, and was the only one who could rescue it (world) from the COVID-19, hence the need to depend on Him this year.
He quoted Colossians 1:27 “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” to encourage Ghanaians.
Making reference to 1 Corinthians 1:24, Bishop Nterful also asked for the power and wisdom of God for mankind this year to be able to navigate their way out of the effect of COVID-19.
He said it was important to depend on His (Jesus’) power to save, heal, and restore all which had been lost so far.
“In Jesus, the world can receive salvation, hope, healing and blessings. But equally, we need to be empowered by His wisdom; we must walk in wisdom.”
“One of the wise and pragmatic steps we urgently need to take as Ghanaians to secure our future and that of our families and loved ones, is to take the COVID-19 vaccination. We believe its benefits far outweigh any perceived or real dangers,” he told The Mirror.
Jesus is joy, peace and goodwill to Ghanaians and all humanity! (Luke 2:14)
Ghana first
In a message signed by Most Rev. Philip Naameh, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference urged Parliament to strive to put the interest of Ghana first above their individual and parochial interests.
He called on the government to always seek stakeholder engagements on all important national issues so that in implementing national policies and programmes, it could carry the aspirations of all Ghanaians along to be able to build one united, peaceful and prosperous Ghana.
“The peace which Christ brings to us and which all of us desire cannot be experienced if false prophecies and prophetic utterances continue to be entertained in our country as the new norm.
Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Philip Naameh
“As we begin a new year, we wish to encourage all Christian ministers to desist from giving false prophecies and from other such practices which only tend to discredit the church and the gospel of Christ,” he said.
Rev. Naameh also encouraged Christians and all Ghanaians to cherish the values of hard work, patience, endurance, perseverance, moderation and contentment, and not allow themselves to be led astray by false prophecies and prophetic utterances.
“We’re also alarmed by the unfortunate growing culture of disrespect and insults in Ghana, especially in our nation’s political arena, and wish to call on all our politicians and indeed all citizens to endeavour to put an end to this rising phenomenon.”
"We are also gravely disturbed about the resurgence of the age-old Bawku conflict, which resurfaces at every least instance of disagreement. We call on the fomenters of this conflict and others such as the Doba-Kandiga conflict, also in the Upper East Region to stop their machinations and desist from such actions in the future,” he added.
He also appealed to all drivers, travellers, pedestrians and road users to observe road traffic regulations to ensure safety on the road to avoid unnecessary accidents in 2022.
“We wish to remind all that existing regulations and protocols meant to contain and minimise the impact of the COVID-19 are still pertinent and ought to be followed religiously even if these tend to limit some of our rights and freedoms.
“It is the fervent prayer and hope of all of us, members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, that the New Year, 2022, would be a year of new beginnings for our dear country, Ghana, and for each and every individual citizen of our blessed land. Our hope and prayer are also that all of us will strive to live in peace with God, with one another and with the natural environment around us,” he concluded.
Hope
Most Rev. Korankye Ankrah encouraged Ghanaians not to despair in spite of the challenges the world had been witnessing over the last two years.
He affirmed that God was always at His best, adding that “So do not despair about the challenges.”
“We pray that the troubles of 2020 through to 2021 including COVID-19 will be no more this year. Businesses will revamp, life will return to normalcy, the government will perform, unity will be among our Parliamentarians and homes and the church, everyone will do their best and contribute their quota to the development of the nation,” he said.
Founder and Apostle General of Royalhouse Chapel International, Most Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah
He, together with his wife, Mrs Rita Korankye Ankrah, prayed for success and a prosperous Ghana in 2022 and the rest of the years ahead, and wished every Ghanaian well in whatever they did this year.
Strength
Speaking through his Spokesperson, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, Sheikh Sharubutu, said “it is God’s own determination to keep us alive and healthy as we go through the experiences of COVID-19.
“Ghana continues to remain one of the peaceful countries around the world because of the peaceful coexistence among the leaders of the various religious bodies including the Chief Imam. We want the country to be inspired by this.”
“The Chief Imam visualises a better future for Ghana in terms of peace and harmony and development. These must hold us across the religious and political divide and among ethnic groups. The youth must avoid doing things that disturb the peace of the nation. They must do all they can to help sustain the peace of this country.”
National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu
He called for strengthening interfaith platforms and dialogues — “they must remain the practices based on which as a nation we guarantee sustainable development, peace and harmony”.
“We must uphold the principles of dialogue and love across communities and religious bodies.”
“He said he was concerned that the nation had been confronted with the emerging moral issue of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) which to some extent was dividing the country among the proponents and opposers.
Sheikh Sharubutu, therefore, called on Parliament to pass the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill into law this year to bring an end to the canker, saying that the more the House remained quiet on it, the more it could lead to misunderstanding which was not good for the peace and security of the nation.
“We must all do our best to contribute meaningfully for the benefit of the nation,” he told The Mirror.
He prayed for the nation and the leaders including the President and his vice.