I never intend to be president – Mensa Otabil

Senior pastor of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) Dr. Mensa Otabil has given the clearest indication yet that he has no intentions of being president of any nation.

According to Dr. Otabil, “I don’t hope to ever be a president of a nation – I’m president of my own small place [church]…” and the stresses and frustrations of being a president are overwhelming hence his decision to focus on shepherding the flock of God.

His comments put to rest public speculations that Dr. Otabil was gearing himself up to take up the high office of the land.

Speaking at a forum organized by policy think tank Imani Ghana and #OccupyGhana, a pressure group on fighting corruption in the country, Dr. Otabil said “responsibilities of a president are very difficult. I can imagine the sense of frustration.”

He was, however, of the view that “leadership is very difficult but leadership is not by force....”

He made these assertions when he attempted to answer the question of ‘Who makes the laws work against corruption?’

In answering, Dr. Otabil quoted Ecclesiastes Chapter 5 verse 8 which reads “If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for the high official is watched by a higher one; and there are yet higher ones over them.”

He used this passage as the base of his presentation and placed the responsibility of leading the fight against corruption at the doorstep of the president. He further added that a collective effort is needed to fight the canker but the president must play a leading role in this campaign.

The senior pastor of ICGC also added that the laws in the country must be made to work.

He said: “The laws are not working here in Ghana. Ghanaians who urinate on the streets in Ghana do not do so when in London or the United States. It is not because they have changed their minds or changed anything about them, it is simply because the laws there work.

“Until the law bites, corruption would never be eradicated. Until we make the law work, this discussion does not work.”