Election 2024: Commit to zero electoral deaths - Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong urges stakeholders

A Senior lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has called on religious organisations and other groups to commit to zero tolerance for electoral deaths. 

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong, who is also a former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), said religious groups such as Christians and Muslims must bring their faith values into public space 

Discourse

He made the call while speaking on the topic “The Role of the Church in the Promotion of Peaceful General Elections in Ghana” at a political party discourse on peaceful elections in the Tema West Constituency.

It was organised by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Hope Congregation, at the Sakumono–Estates last Saturday.

The forum brought together key stakeholders in the Tema West Constituency, such as the Tema West Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the parliamentary candidates for Tema West, Dennis Amfo-Sefa of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and James Enu of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who outlined their vision for the constituency when elected.

Violence

He reminded Ghanaians of the need to curb the disturbing trend of political violence associated with past elections.

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong, who is also the CEO of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, said the country should not record any deaths associated with the 2024 elections.

“We have reached a point where this nation, our pastors, traditional leaders, media, the political parties, Muslim groups must commit to zero tolerance of electoral deaths,” he said.

Touching on the drivers of electoral violence in Ghana, Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong mentioned cheating, violence, monetisation,  ethnocentrism, manipulation and dictatorship, and said the churches must help to address these drivers.

Monetisation

The Tema West Director of the NCCE, Fidel Nii-Akuffo Bortey, said money in politics must stop; otherwise, the nation would not develop.

He said politics and politicians must focus on issues and policies that would move the nation forward instead of using money to influence the polls.

Humility

The Minister in Charge of the Hope Congregation, Rev. Daniel Amoako Nyarko, urged the two parliamentary aspirants and their followers to promote godly behaviour throughout the electioneering period and after.

The NPP parliamentary candidate for Tema West, Dennis Amfo-Sefah, identified three major issues facing the constituency: youth unemployment, education, and infrastructural deficit. He enumerated a number of policies and programmes he intended to address when elected.

The NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Tema West, James Enu, stressed the need for peace before, during and after the elections and promised a leadership style characterised by consensus building.

Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh