Anglican primate lauds President over fight against Galamsey

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been commended for the fight against illegal mining and the introduction of an afforestation programme to reclaim depleted and degraded lands.

The resolve of the President to uproot the canker must be appreciated since environmental protection which amounts to cleanliness is said to be next to godliness.

The commendation was made by the Primate of the West African Province of the Anglican Church, Most Rev. Prof. Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, at the National Thanksgiving Service to mark the Silver Jubilee of the Fourth Republic.

Most Rev. Prof. Yinkah Sarfo, who is the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Ghana and Anglican Bishop of Kumasi, pledged the commitment and support of religious leaders and their followers to be good and patriotic citizens.

“Destroying the environment in order to earn a living is unacceptable,” he maintained and pointed out that “I always say that the earth is God’s garden so let us keep it clean for Him.”

 He urged Ghanaians to support the efforts of the government to protect the environment which serves as an economic resource and a heritage.

Most Rev. Prof. Yinkah Sarfo said the religious leaders would continually seek and work for the peace and prosperity of the nation and pointed out that galamsey had destroyed water bodies, warning that: “If we do not support the government in the relentless fight against the menace, we may be compelled to import water, apart from the reality of famine and other related problems.”

Morally upright men

Most Rev. Prof. Yinka Sarfo stated that there was the need for morally upright  men and women who could exhibit values such as discipline, faithfulness, honesty, reliability and righteousness, and who were law-abiding and responsible citizens.

 “We need the kind of leadership that promotes hard work, unity in diversity, peace, tolerance, freedom and justice, maintenance of the nation at heart of the rule of law, respect for human rights, intolerance for corruption, cooperation, mutual trust and respect; ingredients necessary for national development,” he emphasised.

He prayed for the growth and strengthening of democracy in the country to consolidate the gains that have been achieved in the past 25 years and charged Ghanaians to collectively have the interest of the nation at heart.

Accordingly, Most Rev. Prof. Yinkah Sarfo expressed gratitude to God and appreciation to former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama for joining hands with President Akufo-Addo to attend the thanksgiving service. He also prayed for the soul of the late President John Evans Atta Mills.

He appealed to President Akufo-Addo to grant amnesty to deserving prisoners in line with the dictates of jubilee years, which are years of forgiveness, blessings and togetherness.

Most Rev. Prof. Yinkah Sarfo said as a people, Ghanaians must be grateful to God and not act like the rich Fool in the gospel who failed to acknowledge the generosity of God in his prosperity, stressing, “We Ghanaians have a lot to praise God about for He has given us this good land of human, natural and material resources that we have to harness for further development.”