Otabil decries tribalism

Dr Mensa Otabil has spoken against tribalism in Ghanaian society and expressed surprise that even Christians – who have a biblical injunction to be good neighbours to others people, irrespective of tribe, race, religion and origin – also dabble in ethnic prejudices.

The founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) said on Sunday, November 29, 2015 during a sermon on good neighbourliness that: "Sometimes it amazes me that people who are born-again still think along ethnic lines."

"Although we are black, people say: '…I don’t like Fantes, I don’t like Ewes.'

"And sometimes, we even take it into marriage, and we insult each other's tribe," he observed, citing an example where “…somebody comes and says: 'I want to marry you. You find out he’s from the wrong tribe. You say: 'I won’t marry you, or your parents say they don’t agree, and you also don’t agree."

"How are you going to be a neighbour if you can’t cross just tribe?" he asked.

"If a Fante cannot marry an Ewe, then can he marry a Cameroonian? I mean this is a short journey, from here to Aflao. Now how about here to Yaounde? How are you going to manage that?" the motivational speaker wondered.