Campaigns must be devoid of violence —Rev. Prof. Edusa-Eyison

The Bishop of the Northern Accra Diocese (NAD) of the Methodist Church Ghana, Rt. Rev. Professor Joseph M.Y. Edusa-Eyison, has said political party campaigns should be devoid of inter-party conflicts and violence before, during and after the polls in December this year.

He said the electorate should also exercise their civil rights by eschewing hate speech or language and showing love towards their opponents. He said all religious bodies must also bring to bear on the elections, their Christian and spiritual values.

“We are all Ghanaians so we must live our lives to glorify God. We want that brotherly love to be lived among us so we can promote our nation for it to grow from strength to strength,” he admonished.

 Prof. Edusa-Eyison said this at the opening of the sixth annual synod of the NAD in Accra yesterday. The Synod, which was attended by representatives of all the circuits in the diocese, past and present bishops from other dioceses of the church and a former Presiding Bishop, Most Rev. Dr Robert Aboagye Mensah, was also used to launch a joint quarterly magazine of NAD and the Accra Diocese known as, The Wesleyan Voice.

Synod

The Synod of the Methodist Church Ghana is the highest decision-making body of the church at the diocesan level. It is essentially for stock-taking and making fresh resolutions and plans for the future.

The clergy

This sixth synod of NAD, will, among others elect a new lay chairman for the diocese, as well as a bishop because Professor Edusa-Eyison’s six-year tenure in office ends in September, this year.

Touching on the church’s elections, Professor Edusa-Eyison expressed the hope that members would carry themselves in such a way that it would become a reference point.

“The candidate’s spirituality, leadership and sacrificial commitment are of utmost interest and cannot be relegated to the periphery. The future of the diocese now rests in our hands and posterity will not forgive us if we make a mistake,” he said.

LGBTQI+

On the LGBTQI+ Bill, he called on the President to complete his bit on the Bill by giving his assent so it would be a law. The Bishop of NAD also expressed concern about the growing social menace of football betting and other forms of gambling and cautioned the youth against those ills.

Other areas the address touched on included the achievements made during the reviewing year; the church’s 2024 theme and strategic plan and an announcement of plans by NAD to engage the Methodist University College Ghana to assist the Association of Methodist Chiefs and Queens in running relevant courses that would make them profitable and pertinent to their communities.

Peace

The Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, pledged to ensure that there would be peace before, during and after the general election in his constituency.

“I will use this platform to encourage all other political actors that for the sake of the peace of our nation, for the sake of the future of our nation, let all of us pledge to peace, before, during and after the general election,” he advised.

There were goodwill messages from bishops of other dioceses of the church.