Pastors' trip paid for by 'private sponsors' - Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has told the pastors selected for the government-facilitated pilgrimage to Israel that government is ready to abandon the trip if the pastors decline the offer.

Speaking on the issue for the first time, President Mahama said “Unfortunately the whole intent has been misunderstood and it has created some negatives. The circumstances under which various church groups are writing and saying we don’t want to participate; we will take what you want if we should abandon it, we will just tell the private sponsors that unfortunate the church groups are not interested.

“So that they deal directly with you, government will play no part in facilitating it or something… so I want to get your own idea about it,” he asked.

In a meeting on Tuesday with the pastors, President Mahama said government secured private sponsorship for the pastors pilgrimage to Isreal, according to him the pilgrimage is not financed by government, “government is playing only a facilitator role".

Government has been criticised after news of the trip became public about two weeks ago.

But speaking to leaders of the Christian community who called on him at the Flagstaff House, President Mahama said government is only facilitating the trip but not sponsoring it.