Opinions of Saturday, 5 January 2019

Columnist: Peter Suaka

Sad to be Christian in Ghana!

Peter Suaka Peter Suaka

The numerical following of Owusu Bempah exposes Ghana. But I am not surprised, because that is the price a society that is stuck in illiteracy, poverty and superstition must pay to graduate into knowledge, rationality and common sense.

My regret is rather towards the leadership of the 70% Christian population of this country.

I wonder why these "big coated and ties" group of citizens claiming to be the most educated and civilized section of the Ghanaian population can't just regulate, control and govern themselves to promote the sanity and civility deserving of modern society.

Where are all those pastors who brand themselves as leadership coaches all around? When are they waiting to develop and provide leadership and regulatory systems to regulate their own practices as pastors and practitioners of common faith?

I remember when I authored an article a few years back with the title "Where is the church?" I was bastardized and lambasted all over by those who thought I was " too small" to speak the way I did, I am however proud I did, and the content of that article is still relevant today.

I will gladly do that anytime members of the Ghanaian Christian faith practitioners manifest the kind of mess we are confronted with since the 31st night of December 2018.

"Pastors" deliberately cause fear and panic for obvious mischievous reasons and we don't hear the yellings of the so-called "wise men" "nyansafo)" of yesterday.

Where is the unanimity in the voices of condemnation from the frontiers of the Christian leadership with obvious effort to completely reject and curtail the despicable character of Owusu Bempa and his likes within the Christian faith? Sad to be Christian in Ghana.

These Christian leaders are motivated to speak on typical mainstream political issues than they do on issues related to their core mandate which is providing leadership and streamlining the frontiers of the Christendom.



I am still waiting for that strong President who will come someday to press the stop button to all these trash within the Christian fraternity.

I am waiting for that Parliament that will come someday to immediately pass a legislation directing all churches to properly register with the Registrar General of Ghana to be offered a license to operate their churches under strict monitoring.

Ghana is a developing country. We are still confronted with illiteracy, poverty and superstition. The vulnerable must be protected by effective regulatory systems and infrastructure especially in the practice of faith.

It is obvious the church has failed in providing the required effective leadership of the Christian faith.

The character as constantly demonstrated by Owusu Bempa is just a microcosm of the disaster and impunity that is perpetrated against the sick, the aged, the young and even the prominent in the Ghanaian society behind the radio and TV microphones and cameras.

The church has demonstrated enough incapacity to manage and regulate itself over the years.

The state must step in now.