From: Stephen A. Quaye, Toronto-Canada.



If the comments passed by the former presiding bishop of Ghana Methodist Church, Rt. Rev. [Dr.] Samuel Asante Antwi, about what he described as poor performance of the ruling government of the NDC has been termed as unfortunate comment coming from a minister of God, then the worse comment has not come yet.

Many were those who jumped into the fray to criticize the minister of God, a great theologian the country has ever produced for having passed comments about the sinking economy run by President Atta Mills’s government.

Why? Because the commentary did not go down well with the government especially big hawks within the umbrella party challenging that as a minister of God he was not suppose to meddle in politics.

But if readers have updated themselves with the latest news coming from France, they will in fact realize that the minister of God’s comment passed about the incumbent government was not politicking but rather advising them to wake up and fix things properly either wise going to face the exasperation of the people soon.

If Reverend Asante Antwi’s comment about President Atta Mills’s government was surprising to NDC hawks, then how will we describe a prayer said by a priest in France for his President Nicholas Sarkozy’s downfall, “SHOCKING”?

On August 23, 2010, the 24 Hour news paper in Toronto carried a story filed by Reuters with the headline” Priests pray for Sarkozy’s downfall which drew a lot of attention in the city.

According to the story, several churchmen joined the chorus on Sunday criticizing President Nicolas Sarkozy’s decision to expel dozens of Roma from France, with one priest praying for Sarkozy to be divinely struck by a heart attack.

It said, Father Arthur Hervet of the church of St.Martin Esquermes of Lille in Northern France said he was turning to God because he did not believe those in power have any plans to help the Roma except deport them.

The 71 years old Priest was reported as saying in his shocking prayer,” I pray, I beg your pardon, that Mr. Sarkozy has a heart attack,” adding that war was being waged on the Roma community.

The 24 Hour news paper hinted of Father Hervet intention to return his national order of merit medal to Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux as a sign of protest.” I will like to tell Mr.Hortefeux that I feel he does not know the situation, he does not know what these people are going through,” the priest said after last Sunday Mass as his comment to French President sending back to Romania and Bulgaria, hundreds of Roma in a crackdown on crime and illegal immigration.

This is a minister of God who is not happy about the way the French President is carrying an exercise to crackdown on crime and illegal immigration by sending hundreds of Romanians and Bulgarians back to Roma therefore making his voice heard.

Unlike Reverend Asante Antwi who commented that the government has failed in improving the economy and called on the people to take a critical look and go for the NPP candidate Nana Akuffo Addo instead of the NDC, this priest in France was praying for French President Sarkozy to be divinely struck by heart attack.

Here some readers will argue that maybe French constitution allows pastors and priests to meddle in politics while that of Ghana does not allow them to do politics.

Whichever excuses we try to give to support our points we should also not forget that they are leaders in our various communities leading a group of people who enjoy living when the economy is in good shape and suffers when it is in shambles.

Are those against their comments about the performances of governments describing them as unconstitutional expecting them to always tell their congregation God will make life better for them whiles the decisions being taken by presidents and their governments goes on to create hardships for them?

Oh brothers and sisters continue to pray and God will make things better, do you think God listens to such prayers whiles presidents and ministers engage in dubious businesses, corrupt practices which run down the economy of state?

Absolutely not, because there is a Christian belief that, God chose presidents, governments for his very own assignment of governing his people. Therefore it is incumbent for our politicians to listen to what our priests tell them as they are a warning or advice from God.

A minister of God has shared his personal opinion about the way he sees the running of the state economy describing it as bad and calling on people to reject the party in power come 2012 elections. Whether it was constitutional or unconstitutional he has spoken let the people listen.

No wonder a traditional priest has also spoken concerning the way the country is being run by President Atta Mills and his ministers predicting defeat for the NDC and win for the NPP in 2012. They have shared their opinions but did not pray for President Atta Mills’s downfall by divinely be struck by heart attack [never should that happen]

This should be a lesson for the hawks in the umbrella party to wake up and start cleaning the mess already created in the system by their very own members instead of involving themselves in loose battles which weakens their hold on power.

These two priests have spoken sharing their opinions on the economy. Should we expect another commentary from another priest this time in a prayer? A word to the wise is enough.

End.