RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND POLITICS

TOPIC: RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND POLITICS

MEDIA HOUSE: CLASS FM

DATE: 31-08-2016

Emefa: Good evening Sir and thank you very much for your time and am sure that you’ve been monitoring the back for between the outgoing Presbyterian Moderator, political parties and of course  and his former P.R.O and all that  am sure you’ve been monitoring as a council, at what point will this end?

Rev Dr. Opuni-Frimpong:Emefa thank you for the opportunity and good evening to your cherished listeners. Because of what Moderator said on your program, that tomorrow they may come out with an issue. Some of the details I feel that we will leave that to the Presbyterian Church and their spokesperson but what will happen and not only the recent one but at the moment the increasing between religion politics and is an issue that must be seriously addressed. One area that as a country we don’t go round begging anybody, we don’t need loan to work on is in the area of religion; is an area we have in abundance and to me is an area we must find a way of developing it well so that the strength of religion can be channeled to compliment and compliment what our politicians are doing. The moment we have a situation where it seems like the church and politicians or those in governance are in conflict, it doesn’t serve anybody’s interest because all of them are serving the same Ghanaians. The churches, I must say that some Muslims are into education, into health like what our politicians are also working hard in achieving and so to me the real critical issue for all of us, those in religion and also those in politics is to work very hard in the interface between religion and politics because at the moment it seems to me that relationship which we need to facilitate growth and development is not working very well for us and we need to address it.

Emefa: But how do we address it because it looks like its not healthy for saying it or at what point or how do we address it?

Rev Dr. Opuni-Frimpong: Now we need to admit it. All religious leaders and political leaders and we must admit that we need each other so religious leaders don’t need to take a position that politicians are enemies and people who are around to attack us. For instance let me give you the Presbyterian Church now you have strong politicians from the various sides all in this church; Mr. Agyarko, in fact Nana AkufoAddowhen he is at Kyebi they are all in the Presbyterian Church, Dan Botwe and the others then Mr. AsieduNketia and many more in the NDC are also Presbyterians. Now their leaders should be able to bring them all together whether you are in government or you are in opposition that we are serving, we are using our faith, our church, our resources to support and build this country so our religious leaders must see those in politics as one of our own, they are not outsiders, politicians are not strangers and they are part of us, at the same time the politicians must also know that in this country, Emefa as we speak now 40% of this nation’s health facilities; hospitals and clinics in this country are in the hands of the churches and the schools have made significant contribution.  Every government in this country with the churches and other religious bodies, so is that how somebody may be addressed?if we may need to engage ourselves in a public debate how do you how do you work together, how should religion and politics engage to serve the interest of ordinary people.

Emefa: Dr. Opuni- Frimpong, you knowwe’ve heard this to the extent that if only when one political party is in power that some religious groups find their voice, it is always the allegation that from one party to the other they think that it is when they are in government then we hear the loudest  of the religious organization not when the other is in power.

Rev Dr. Opuni-Frimpong:Emefa, the Christian Council of Ghana is 87 years this year and if you tract the trajectory of the Council before independence what the council did during Nkrumah’s time – one party state, during the revolution – Rawlings, Acheampong and Akufo and all that check that period the roles the churches have played even under President Kuffour. Let me just show an example; when they wanted to leave Religious and Moral Education from the curriculum the Christian  Council of Ghana and the Ghana Catholic Bishop’s Conference said no. check what the NPP government then with the religious leaders and how friendly it was and many more. In fact let me even use this Presby thing which you said to me very unfortunate when the Presbyterian Church were having their meeting at Abetifi just last week the Eastern Regional minister was there; she spoke very well to the admiration of everybody, Prof. Martey spoke very well about her and the government. They prayed with her, Prof. Martey hugged her and it’s so surprising to me that none of the media houses picked that issue then the next Monday Nana AkufoAddo came and he gave a clue that if it happened that I become president, I would want to partner with the Presby Church for the development and in response Prof. Martey said we have always been working with all governments then the Presby Church will partner with you then this morning that became the news everywhere. What the Regional minister did I was in the room. I spoke to the General Assembly before even the honourable minister spoke and am asking myself how come the media houses that were there did not pick anything from the minister in government and I think that the challenge is coming from the thick end and you know especially from the media of course I will still admit that the interface between religion and politics at the moment in this country is not working on well. It means that people are waiting where the sidelines the slip will come and then they become the headlines

Emefa: Reverend it looks like all the time the media get blamed when the issues come up we don’t check ourselves also we publish what we have to publish or isn’t it?

Rev Dr. Opuni-Frimpong: Emefa look for instance I will expect that when a journalist had gone out for news, they have done investigation and they put up a story there at least when we are doing a public discourse even those journalist who brought the story or put the story whether daily graphic or whatever paper will be called for probe. For instance you have gone out to this press conference Presby held yesterday  so far even  the press people who were there nobody is calling them that why didn’t you even add when did this thing happen, who gave you the drug and now you will get other people who will take over then we bring in all our biases into the conversation so the point am making is we are having a challenge that must be addressed and that is contributing to what you have said that it is like we want a particular political party is in government then the churches are against that one but the point is if you check the history that cannot be the story of especially the churches – the Christian Council of Ghana I know that has not been our trend.

Emefa:Dr. just briefly before you go are you going to condemn the back and front especially with this blackmail investigation with Rev. Prof. Martey and his ex-PRO and all that, is the Christian Council going to condemn this act or going to call the truth at a point.

Rev Dr. Opuni-Frimpong:Now Emefa let me ask you who rarely need what is happening, do we need this? And if we can find out and am sure that nobody is benefiting from that and that must stop.

Emefa:Okay, thank you very much Dr. Opuni-Frimpong