Fulfil promises made - Most Rev. Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu to President Mahama

The Presiding Bishop of The Methodist Church Ghana (MUG), Most Rev. Professor Johnson Asamoah-Gyadu, has expressed hope in President John Dramani Mahama to fulfil the promises he made prior to his election as president.

He said the numerous promises that were made in the run-up to the December 7, 2024 elections were transformative, and he hoped that they would be fulfilled.

"I do not know all of the promises, but at least the ones I heard include strengthening free senior high school and even extending it to private schools; making first-year university education free, and many others.

A promise is as good as its fulfilment," he intimated.

The clergyman stated this at the launch of the 190th anniversary of the church’s existence in the country on January 5, 2025.

Most Rev. Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu, who led the rank and file of the church to launch the anniversary celebration at Bethany Methodist Church, Dzorwulu, said one way of exhibiting good governance was for politicians to keep their promises to the citizens.

Taxes

He called on President Mahama to reconsider his decision to remove taxes on betting, explaining those taxes served two reasons — to raise funds for the country and also to serve as a deterrent to people.

"If you go to our university campuses, betting has become an epidemic — destroying people. Some even trade with their fees and things like that. So when you remove taxes from such a thing, you make it easier for people to gamble and gambling has never been a good source of revenue,” he said

Again, he said although young people made money from betting, it had moral implications, “so if the tax is removed, it is going to worsen the problem that the young people are going through betting day and night," he stated.”

Illegal mining

The MUG Presiding Bishop called on the new government to take bold steps to deal with the illegal mining menace that had destroyed the country’s land and water resources.

He underscored the need for the President to take steps to depoliticise the fight against the menace and embrace an all-encompassing approach to halt the canker.

Most Rev. Asamoah-Gyadu urged citizens to give their best and fulfil their mandate wherever they were called to serve, including helping to fight galamsey.

Tributes

Earlier, during the launch of the anniversary, he paid tribute to the patriarchs and matriarchs of Methodism in Ghana — beginning with the foreign missionaries who responded to the call of God at great risk to their lives by making the perilous journeys by sea to the then Gold Coast to sow the seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He also commended the efforts of the indigenous persons who acted as hosts, composers of Christian songs, preachers, interpreters and caretakers for the missionaries.

"Today, not only is the Methodist Church Ghana present across Ghana but Ghanaian Methodists have also established immigrant congregations to take the Gospel to the secularising West, from where missionaries came to serve God's people in our land," he said.

The Chairman of the 190th Anniversary Planning Committee, Right Rev. Samuel Kofi Osabutey,  mentioned the activities outlined for the anniversary celebration to include, a new year school for young people, musical concert, homecoming celebration for members of the church in the diaspora and a Thanksgiving service in all societies of the church to climax the celebrations in August.