President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has come under a barrage of attacks from various religious groupings and the clergy over purported plans to sponsor Christians on pilgrimage to Israel and the Vatican.

The latest is Chairman of the National Peace Council, Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante who has revealed that Ghanaians did not mandate the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in return for state-sponsored pilgrimage trips.

According to him, it was not within the purview of the current government or any government to sponsor religious leaders or Christians as a whole on pilgrimage because it is a deviation from the core mandate of the state.

On Kumasi-based Abusua Fm, Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante advised that any Christian who wants to embark on such an exercise should foot his own bill and not rely on the state.

‘Every Christian must bear his/her own traveling expenses if he/she wishes to go to Jerusalem. As a former head of a church, I objected to this idea during Prof. Mills’ tenure, and I am adding my voice now to the people who are objecting to this idea by telling government to stop it…Lets allow religious groups to do whatever they want to do, but government should concentrate on its mandate by providing jobs and putting up infrastructural developments with such monies,’ he admonished.

‘I will humbly plead with Nana Akufo-Addo’s government to turn away from these kinds of things, it sounds too populist which is not beneficial to anybody, you have a mandate, we are supporting you, we are praying to God to help you deliver your mandate, stay away from those kind of populist things. If some pastors are objecting to this idea, then we really have to think carefully about the whole thing,… government can assist them (pilgrims) in their visas, but why should it organise these trips,’ he asked.