Use Pulpit to propagate peaceful message during election - Woyongo

Mr Mark Woyongo, the Upper East Regional Minister, has called on the Clergy to use the Pulpit to propagate peaceful messages before, during and after the 2012 general elections.

The Regional Minister who made the call during the Silver Jubilee of the Fountain Gate Church International in Bolgatanga over the weekend, said, in every election year there were likely to be some people who would want to act negatively to mar the process and noted that these things must not be allowed.

“As you are aware this year is an election year, and election year normally comes with their peculiar problems. There are people out there who for various reasons will deliberately want to cause confusion and destabilize the process by engaging in negative and unprecedented acts leading to violence. These acts of violence must not be allowed to find refuge in our body politics. Lets us not see our political opponents as enemies but people of the same stock desirous of building and developing the nation”

He said, one of the good elements of democracy was tolerance and that Ghana had chalked a lot of success in that arena and would not allow the enviable image it has carved for itself to be affected.

Mr Woyongo congratulated the Fountain Gate Chapel International and other Churches for contributing immensely to the socio-economic development of the entire nation and more especially to the three Northern Regions.

He also paid tribute to the Churches for the numerous prayers they have been organising in the past for the entire nation and appealed to them to continue with it since this year is an election year.

The Regional Minister also stated that government was more committed to the development of the youth, and has this year committed huge sums of money into the development of the youth.

“It is worthy to note that government has set out in this year’s budget funds towards the implementation of a number of programmes and projects throughout the country which include the Youth in Agriculture Programme, the Block Farming system, Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP), and Youth Enterprise Skills Development (YESDEP) among others.

He entreated the youth to avail themselves for the numerous opportunities provided them and to be disciplined and law abiding so as to become good future leaders.

On the Biometric Registration Exercise, the Regional Minister impressed upon the clergy and congregation to encourage their neighbours to go for the exercise, stressing that, the exercise was not only meant for the election but could be demanded as requisite for banks and travellers.

Reverend Eastwood Anaba, said the Church apart from providing the spiritual needs to the people, was also embarking on a number of social development projects such as building of schools and farming among other things,

He noted that the three northern regions were full of potentials especially in the field of agriculture, stressing that, areas that are considered as the food basket of the country could not be described as poor; adding that what was lacking was the capital, intensive technology and technical know-how to expand farming activities in the area.

He said God would one day make the three Northern Regions the richest regions in the country, adding that “I foresee a future where the sons and daughters who are rich with experience and working outside the Region will return to help accelerate the development of the area”.

He impressed upon the members of the congregation to remain loyal and committed to the work of God assigned to them, saying it was only through this that they would receive immense blessings from God.

Apostle Samuel Antwi, Chairman of the Ghana Pentecostal Church commended Reverend Anaba for his Transformational Leadership, Empowerment Meetings, and Spiritual Publications among others.

”Your mark of maturity, dynamism, God Centered leadership and the provision of political leadership for the country cannot be over emphasized and you deserve commendation for that”.

A number of citations were read in the Church and plagues given to Members of the Church including outsiders who have contributed significantly to the growth of the Church.

The Occasion which coincided with the Easter festivity was characterized by a number of events and Church activities which attracted a lot of people across the various regions of the country and beyond.**