Religious leaders must lead communal labour advocacy – Assemblyman

Isaac Newton Tetteh, Assembly Member for Nmlitsakpo Electoral Area in the Kpone-Kantamanso Municipality, on Wednesday called on religious and traditional leaders to participate in communal labour events to rekindle the community enthusiasm.

“If all the churches, mosques, and traditional leaders play leading roles and sensitizes their members on the need to get involve in communal labour whiles also organizing such activity on a routine basis, Ghana will become a clean country,” he said.

Mr Tetteh told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Saki near Tema that it was the responsibility of every citizen to take part in activities towards the progress and development of the nation.

“We must all begin to light our candle and one-by-one and collectively we will make Ghana clean. Leaders must provide direction through personal involvement and not just direct affairs from afar or through their agents and representatives,” he said.

Mr Tetteh expressed concern about the lack of enthusiasm from some religious and traditional leaders anytime community related activities were organized.

“We must not only be interested in the high profile event and seat in front to receive homage …we must also participate in community activities.

“The leadership impact effect will rapture communities where, Bishops, Reverend Ministers, Imams and other traditional and opinion leaders join forces to participate in communal labour or other community development initiatives”.

Mr Tetteh appealed to leaders to use their societal influence to improve the livelihood of communities they operated from.

“It is not acceptable to build mansions and other huge places of worship, when the road leading to such edifice is bad.

“We cannot live in affluence whiles all around lives in poverty, let’s work together to make life meaningful to our next door neighbour”.

The Assemblyman for Nmlitsakpo Electoral Area said religious leaders were influential in society as such, their regular encouragement and engagement in such activities would shape the attitude of some people towards environmental cleanliness which will benefit the country in its development.

Mr Tetteh said undertaking communal labour activities was a way of complementing government’s effort towards national development, adding that “Ghanaians must make it a habit to come together to clean the environment and not to wait on the government to do such things for them”.