Ghanaian businessman and founder of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike has said the clergy has been too quiet on the issues of governance under the current Akufo-Addo-led administration.

This comes on the back of a viral video, in which Rev. Solomon Nortey, of the Zion Methodist Church Sakumono, was captured expressing his disappointment with the Akufo-Addo-led government.

According to the Methodist Pastor, he voted for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo but has regretted doing so.

“Before God and man, I voted for President Akufo-Addo, I voted for him but I have regretted doing that.

“I was tired of the corruption of President Mahama because I saw some with my own eye in Dubai and I came back very angry from a meeting and I didn’t want to hear anything NDC.”

He, however, indicated that the Akufo-Addo administration has not been exemplary either.

“I said the new era that is coming is the era of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. When he also came, he has also came, he has stunned me with his actions”.

“We’re tired, if you’re not tired, me I’m tired. People think that the Pastors they don’t have to put themselves into politics and all that.”

Reacting to this on CTV’s Dwa bre mu, on Tuesday, 28 February 2023, the UPP founder noted that the country’s pastors have been too silent on the issues of governance.

He told show host Nana Otu Darko that: “The Pastors have taken too long to speak up, they have kept quiet. The Pastors in Ghana, are afraid and hypocrites, yes majority of them, they want something to eat, just because of their stomachs. Pastors who just want to chop, gain what they can acquire.

“He’s [Rev. Nortey] now feeling the heat.”

Odike further noted that: “The Pastor alleges he was born into NDC, his parents are NDC, but after going to see what John Mahama did with our money in Dubai, he parted ways with NDC and helped Nana Addo assume the reins of government. Nana Addo also came and has done worse.”

In the UFP founder’s opinion, the challenge confronting the country is the failure to put the national interest first.

“Do you know the reason, we put our hopes in men and we vote for men but we need to put our hopes in the country Ghana. We need to do all that it takes to ensure that the interest of Ghana overrides any other interest.

“That is our biggest challenge,” Mr Odike stressed.

He added: “The Constitution has made us selfish. It has made government become, ‘my government’, it has made governance about individuals instead of nationalistic.”