Tackling political polarisation: Politicians must show way – Bishop Dr Okpoti

The Interim Superintendent of the Holy Apostolic Reformed Church of Ghana (HARC), Bishop Dr Thomas Okpoti, has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to demonstrate unity in their dealings in the House on issues of national interest.

He said in spite of the highly polarised political environment, politicians must learn to compromise when negotiating about policies bordering on the country’s future.

“The polarisation in Parliament is becoming so intense that some of us are so afraid that if we are not careful, this nation will be thrown apart but I believe some arguments are irrelevant when it comes to the future of Ghanaians and what is going on in Parliament is not helping anyone of us,” he said in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Friday.

Unity

He explained that the COVID-19 pandemic knew no political or ethnic colour when it attacked the country hence the need for the country to be united in order to recover from the adverse effects of the pandemic.

“One thing we must understand is that a virus came upon us and attacked us, it came without any ethnic or partisan colour and so for us to overcome it, we do not need partisan colours, we have to be united.

“But if the people up there cannot give us an example of unity, then we will be divided against one another,” he added.

Exhortation

In an exhortation on the theme: “His Blood”, Bishop Dr Okpoti, who premised his message on the book of John 19: 24, said Christians must learn to keep their inner self as clean and seamless as the inner garment of Jesus Christ who sacrificed his life for them.

“Ghanaians must become as seamless as the inner garment of Christ and lines of division should not be seen among us,” he stressed.

He further urged the government to formulate policies to help low income earners while calling on affluent Christians to help deprived individuals in their communities.