Coronavirus: Propose alternative Easter day celebration - Opuni-Frimpong tells church leaders
A former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has urged the leadership of the Christian community in the country to immediately meet and propose an alternative date for the celebration of Easter.
“I’m advising that church leaders such as the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, the Christian Council of Ghana and others must come together and propose a date for the celebration of Easter in Ghana, in consultation with the Office of the President,” he explained.
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Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra, Dr Opuni-Frimpong said the impression must not be created that the celebration of Easter had been cancelled.
“Easter day was fixed by human beings, so since we have a challenge, we must solve our own problem so that we do not give the impression to Ghanaians that they have been denied their spiritual joy and blessing,” Dr Opuni-Frimpong, who is also a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, stated.
Directive
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, last Sunday in a televised broadcast, banned all public gatherings for the next four weeks in response to the confirmation of four more coronavirus disease (COVID – 19) cases in the country.
The public gatherings include conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events as well as religious events such as services in churches and mosques.
Easter season
The four-week directive covers the Good Friday and Easter Sunday, which are often celebrated extensively by the Christian community in the form of conventions, rallies and picnics.
The Easter season is also used by many families, groups and association as a period of reunion, during which they bond, feast and make merry.
Endorsing directive
Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong said he fully endorsed the directive given by President Akufo-Addo and urged all Ghanaians to observe the directives because it was for the good of all.
He said there were superpowers who were struggling with the virus and Ghanaians should not take it lightly, “because it is real and it is a fact and I believe that it is in Ghana and all of us must observe the safety measures.”
Integrity of institutions
Asked whether he heard of rumours that it was all a ploy by government to amass fund for 2020 campaign, Dr Opuni-Frimpong dismissed it saying that he did not believe that the Noguchi Memorial Centre, which confirmed the existence of the virus, would allow itself to be used by a political party.
“It will be a surprise, if Noguchi can collaborate with government to lie if they have not done any examination and as professionals, Noguchi can come out with a report that It has seen coronavirus,” he stated.
He said the information was not just coming from the government, but other institutions that were mindful of their integrity, “and I will want to believe that Noguchi will be mindful of its integrity and reputation and will not allow political parties to manipulate them.
Partisanship
Insisting that the country was in difficult times, Dr Opuni-Frimpong urged Ghanaians to live above partisanship and desist from politicising the disease, “otherwise we will lose the fight’’.
“This is the time we have to unite as a country and if any political party has any advice, it can do so with a sense of patriotism, that would be useful. This is not the time for any political party to score political points.
“My advice is for all Ghanaians to come together as one to save this country, especially the vulnerable, those who do not have running water in their homes and those who do not have toilets in their homes,” Dr Opuni-Frimpong advised.