Vice President calls on the religious to be politically neutral

Accra, May 7, GNA - Vice-President John Dramani Mahama has called on religious leaders to exhibit high sense of neutrality in the national political discourse. He said their neutrality would provide them the moral courage to call politicians to order when they went wrong in the management of the affairs of the country. Mr Mahama made this call when the Executive Council of the Assemblies of God Church called on him at the Castle Osu. They were in the Castle to thank the Vice-President and the government for their support and also officially introduce the new team to the government. He called on the church and traditional authorities to lead the crusad= e in reducing the tension by preaching against violent language and other forms of attacks. The Vice President said government was working with other stakeholders to raise the needed capital for the Electoral Commission (EC) to go into th= e Biometric registration exercise for the 2012 general elections.

He said the EC was working out the figures, and as soon as they come out with the budget, government would support it to add credibility to the 2012 polls. Mr Mahama commended the Church for their contribution towards both spiritual and material needs of the people. Rev Dr Paul Frimpong Manso the General Superintendent of the Assemblie= s of God-Ghana commended the Mills led government for its achievements in the first half of its first term of office. He also commended President Mills for instituting a National Day of Fasting, Prayer and Thanksgiving which brings men and women of God to a common platform to seek the face of God for the peace and prosperity of the nation. Rev Manso appealed to political parties and all Ghanaians to demonstrate a high sense of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. "We are calling for a greater respect for intra and inter party democratic principle", he appealed.

Rev Frimpong Manso mentioned two hospitals the Assemblies of God churc= h had established at Saboba and Nankpanduri in the Northern Region and appealed to government to support the facilities to cater for the health needs of the people. Rev Dr Frimpong-Manso disclosed that the church's University College would take off in September this year and hoped it would contribute to the human resource development of the country.