General News of Monday, 12 October 2026

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

From Owusu Bempah to Obofour: Pastors who have backed law restricting preaching on public transport

Some of the pastors who have supported the government’s move Some of the pastors who have supported the government’s move

The government came under heavy criticism over the implementation of Regulation 141 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (LI 2519), which sought to prohibit preaching and hawking inside moving public and commercial vehicles.

The critics, who included a number of renowned pastors, slammed the government over the implementation of the law, saying that it was an oppression of religious freedom, which led to the suspension of the implementation.

Several prominent pastors over the weekend used their pulpits to throw their support behind the government’s implementation of the law restricting preaching and hawking on public transport.

They argued that the move would help address noise pollution, reduce disturbances and ensure orderliness on the country’s roads.

Here are the pastors who supported the government’s move and the reasons they gave for their support

Rev Owusu Bempah:

Apostle Isaac Owusu Bempah, the founder and leader of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International, is one of the pastors who has come to the defence of the government.

Speaking to his congregation on October 11, 2026, Rev. Owusu Bempah said that the political opponents of President John Dramani Mahama were framing the issue to make it appear as though the government was restricting the freedom of Christians.

He told his church members that L.I. 2519 was an existing law and that the government was only trying to implement it to make the country's roads safe.

He explained that under the law, pastors were allowed to preach on public transport when the vehicles were parked at their stations but were not allowed to do so once the vehicles were moving.




Rev Obofour:

Rev Obofour, the founder and leader of Anointed Palace Chapel (APC), also known as Prophet Asanteman Bofour, also defended the implementation of the law and reiterated the points made by Rev. Owusu Bempah to his congregation.

He wondered why the president was being criticised over the implementation, given that the law already existed before Mahama was sworn into office.

He added that the implementation was necessary because it would ensure that drivers focused on driving and protect passengers in the event of sudden braking.




Prophet Kumchacha:

The founder and leader of Heaven's Gate Ministry, Prophet Nicholas Osei, popularly known as Kumchacha, has also defended the implementation of the law.

The pastor argued that Christians should obey the law rather than publicly declare their intention to defy it. He also cited the Bible's teaching on obeying the law.

“The law is the law. Even the Bible states that we should obey all laws,” he said.

He questioned whether pastors who openly defied the restriction would be happy if their church members similarly refused to follow their instructions.

Prophet Opambour:

Prophet Ebenezer Adarkwa Yiadom, the founder of the Ebenezer Miracle Worship Centre, widely known as Opambour, has also defended the government's move.

He echoed the safety concerns in his remarks to his audience.

He added that most pastors who preach in vehicles do so for money and must be stopped.

"I fully support President Mahama's ban on preaching in moving buses. About 92% of pastors who preach in buses do so for money," he said.



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