The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) Rt Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, has said the violence that rocked the by-election at the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in the Greater Accra Region should never happen again.
“I think somebody should come up and apologise to Ghanaian citizens because it is so sad and a disgrace to the nation,” he stated.
“This is not about anybody. I respect the government in power right now but as for this matter, I think that the government needs to step up its game by bringing the perpetrators to book and also apologise to Ghanaians,” he stressed.
Induction ceremony
Rt Rev. Prof. Mante said this at the induction ceremony of the new chairperson for the Northern Presbytery of the church, Rev. Peter Atta Ziame, which was held at the Unity Congregation at Sakasaka, a suburb in the Tamale Metropolis, the capital of the Northern Region last Sunday.
Rev. Ziame, who will serve for the next five years, is taking over from Rev. Dr Solomon Sule Saa, as the chairperson of the Northern Presbytery of the PCG.
Among those who graced the induction ceremony were the Clerk of the General Assembly, Rev. Dr Samuel Ayete- Nyampong, presbyteries and the General Assembly Council members across the country.
Peace
On the violence at Ayawaso West Wuogon, Rt Rev. Prof. Mante said the country needed to move forward and not to be distracted by political parties.
” We want our peace and if the political parties are the ones going to cause serious problems like war and violence in the country, they rather stop it because we want our country to be in peace,” he stated.
He also added that “the Ayawaso West Wuogon incident was unfortunate and must never be allowed to happen again”.
Rt Rev. Prof. Mante further urged politicians not to take the citizens of Ghana for granted and create violence that would disturb the peace of the country but rather help in creating jobs for the youth.
New Yaa Naa
He commended the people of the North, particularly the people of Dagbon and the country as a whole for the peaceful installation of a new Yaa Naa for Dagbon.
” We want to thank God particularly for the installation of Yaa Naa peacefully and I pray that this hard-won peace stays here in the Northern Region “, he stated.
” We are grateful to the Committee of Eminent Chiefs who fashioned out the road map to peace in Dagbon and the roles played by successive Presidents, particularly the current President, for taking the initiative to make this happen.
Religious tolerance
Rt Rev. Prof. Mante admonished all religious groups in the Northern Region and the country as a whole to continue to peacefully co-exist.
Congregation
He advised the church members to accord the new chairperson, the needed respect and cooperation to operate well for the growth of the church.
Chairperson
The new chairperson, Rev. Ziame thanked the leadership of the presbytery for the confidence they had reposed in him and pledged to discharge the duty to help win more souls for Christ.