Ghanaians asked to avoid ethnocentric comments
Ghanaians have been tasked to shy away from ethnocentric comments and rather focus on national development.
According to the Parish Priest of the St Theresa’s Catholic Church at Kaneshie, a suburb of Accra, Rev. Father Johannes Mintah-Mensah, ethnocentric comments by individuals, especially politicians, will compromise national security and peaceful coexistence among Ghanaians.
He opined that political discourse in recent times had been fuelled by ethnocentric comments likely to polarise the state.
“I am saying this because we know what has happened in other parts of the world, and we know what is gradually creeping into our society. We need to be circumspect in our utterances, “he said.
Golden Jubilee
He made the call last Sunday at a ceremony to climax activities marking the church’s golden jubilee celebration in October.
The event was on the theme,” I will spend my heaven doing good on earth,” while the sermon was on “oneness and togetherness”.
Known as a traditional month for the congregation, the celebration brought together various ethnic groups of the church, including foreigners, to showcase their traditions with the aim of upholding the spirit of peace and love.
Participants wore traditional costumes, brought their indigenous food and danced to local music types to climax the occasion.
Real identity
Speaking on the feast, Rev. Mintah-Mensah said, “No one can deny the fact that they do belong to an ethnic group.”
He, however, enjoined individuals to desist from ethnic superiority because” many wars were fought as a result of superiority complex”.
Intermarriage
As a result of that, Rev. Mintah-Mensah urged Ghanaians to adopt the culture of intermarriage to do away with ethnocentrism.
“Our patron St Theresa said many people want to go to heaven, but they have forgotten that heaven can be taken from earth,” so why are you in a hurry to go to heaven when you have not finished your mission on earth”, he asked.
Mr Stephen Adubofour, an elder of the church, implored Ghanaians to show love by being one another’s keeper.
“One good thing that ex-President Kwame Nkrumah did was to build boarding schools for different ethnic groups to live together as one people with a common destiny. Gradually, we are about to break that unionism with modern day politics, “he stated.
