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Politics of Friday, 14 May 2021

Source: peacefmonline.com

Is that how you run a secular state? - Kwesi Pratt asks Ghanaian leaders over religious tolerance

Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr

Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has rebuked leaders in the country for fanning religious conflicts in the country.

Wesley Girls' High School has aroused religious debates after its management refused a Muslim student to mark Ramadan on campus.

Muslims across the globe ended their Ramadan, which is their ''festival of fast'', on Wednesday, May 12 but unfortunately, the Muslim student of Wesley Girls' wasn't allowed to join the fast, as part of the school rules.

This decision of the school has courted controversies as Ghanaians are torn into halves with one school of thought arguing in favour of the school while the other kicks against it.

Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Kwesi Pratt questioned why there should be religious conflicts in Ghana.

According to him, Ghana has come a long way for her to be torn apart by religious beliefs.

He argued that Ghana is a secular State and must remain so.

To him, all this seeming religious fight is due to the lack of respect that leaders in the country including many Ghanaians have for the laws of Ghana.

"Should everyone heed the laws of Ghana, there's no problem. What's happened is because we don't obey the laws of Ghana. All our leaders in this country don't abide by Ghana's laws. That is the problem. When you visit the 1992 constitution, is Ghana not a secular State? Ghana is a secular State. Let us abide by that law; let every person exercise his/her freedom of worship. Your religion is a private affair. It has nothing to do with us."

''Our ticket is Christian vrs Muslim. We have united Christians and Muslims, so we, everybody should vote for us. Is that how you run a secular State? My goodness! Is that how you run a secular State? Just recently, some people have risen that we won't allow Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia to be President because he is a Muslim, is that how you run a secular State? Does a secular State use her money to build a cathedral? What is all this?'', he said.

Kwesi Pratt stressed, ''What we want in Ghana is to get a good government. A good government that will work hard for us to get good drinking water. I don't care who leads that government is a Muslim or Christian or Atheist. We want good drinking water. We want a good government that will end dumsor. We want a good government that will provide quality education for our children to become good future leaders like Ayeh-Paye".

''Whether that government is a Christian, a Muslim, fetish priest or a member of Musama Disco Christo church; how does it concern me?'' he questioned.