Christians must enter politics to instill sanity, dignity - Christian Council Chairman

The Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Paul Kwame Boafo has asked Christians to play active role in politics in order to bring sanity into the body politic of the country.

Asked whether Christians should stay away from core politics, he said, "We rather call on them to be involved in politics to straighten things, to bring sanity and dignity to it."

Rev. Dr. Boafo was speaking to journalists after going through the registration process at the offices of the Adentan Municipal Electoral Commission (EC) in Accra Wednesday.

Call on Christians, Muslims
He believed that when Christians took such positions, they would bring the Christian values to bear on the activities of their political parties and ultimately on the country.

Rev. Dr. Boafo said the call had been to both Christians and Muslims in the country to enter politics to help change the face of politics and let their values reflect in the body politics of the country.

“So, I will call on those who are ready to get involved, so that we can sanitise our political system,” he added.

Disturbing news
Rev. Dr. Boafo said it was worrying and disturbing news that there were violence and disturbances in some of the registration centres.

“I am very worried, as the Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana and I’m very, very worried as the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, hearing of the violence in other parts of the country, where people even die as a result of this.

“People should not die as they go to register. It should be peaceful, as I have seen here. Everything here is orderly and that is what should be happening everywhere,” Rev. Dr. Boafo said.

Lessons
He said violence should be out of the body politic of the country, adding that as a nation, “we have come very far in terms of democratic dispensation.”

The Presiding Bishop said Ghanaians should have learnt their lessons such that activities such as violence and disturbances should not be repeating every election year.

“We should have gone past this long time ago and that is why I will ask that we learn our lessons from here,” he said, praying that those fomenting violence should stop.

Registration process
He described the registration process as smooth and friendly, adding that he enjoyed every aspect of it and called on all qualified Ghanaians to go out and register to enable them exercise their civic responsibility as to who should take up the leadership role of the country.

“My advice to the general public is that it is good to go out there and register because it is for the sake of our country and for the peace and governance of our nation, especially when you are 18 and above with sound mind,” Rev. Dr. Boafo said.

He said registration and voting were peaceful processes and that should be the ultimate desire of every Ghanaian, reminding the political parties that they would need a peaceful environment to rule.

“So, if we go through the process of registration and election with chaos, violence, there will be no peace for them to rule and that is why from start to end, it should be peaceful. Peace is what we are all looking for,” he added.

Registration so far
Briefing the Presiding Bishop on the registration in the Adentan Municipality, the Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr. Gerald Roberts said the turnout had been impressive, adding that the commission’s projected figure of 115,000 based on the 2019 estimations could be exceeded.

He said 13 days into the registration exercise, a total of 79,916 people had so far registered and was hopeful that the municipality would exceed the projected figure and hit 130,000 or even more by the end of the exercise.

Mr. Roberts attributed the rise in numbers to the fast growing nature of the municipality and also because the area had become a safe haven for many.

He said the commission in the assembly had its complement of the electoral materials and also the personal protection equipment (PPE), adding that it was not compromising on the various COVID-19 protocols.