THE PULPIT AND POLITICS -ASK

THE PULPIT AND POLITICS

This article may yet prove to be another difficult one for me. Difficult not because I would have lacked the ideas to express my personal views on the subject, but rather, difficult because of the person involved.

We have entered another election year and campaigns are expected to be running by now. Just as groups would be rallying around for votes, some individuals would rather use the channels at their disposal to win souls for their preferred parties.

It is indeed true that people from time to time, would require some levels of motivation at times like this. It is indeed true that people are finding things tough in this country. However, the reality would also present to us, facts that the government of the day, had not stated anywhere that milk and honey is flowing in the country.

My Pastor Dr. Mensa Otabil has once again, stated that Ghana is hard. When I saw the story, just after reading the headline, one question came through my mind, “had there been any moment in Ghana when everything was soft”?

We may not stretch this issue to politics. Even that, as a democrat, I would admit the fact that, anyone has the right to want to meddle in politics. However, that must not be done hypocritically.

The association sometimes with the pulpit makes it completely difficult for genuine concerns to be raised by people who matter.

Taking a cue from the Holy Book, the instruction was explicit – touch not my anointed, and do my prophet no harm. Today, in reading these issues, as apolitical as the statement made and classified as such may be, they remain a basis for some political decisions in this country. This paper would delve critically into some perspectives that would lay bare a clear understanding on what should matter to all.

Not too long ago, there were comments that were recalled to have been made by the General Overseer of my church. In times past, other comments were reported which results in a description of a section of the political divide as evil, and using Machiavellian tactics to run him down.

That was good. The reasons for such references of his comments cannot be lost on us. Bad company is bad company no matter who is involved. Indeed, the ancient book of old, has standing examples of events of the past that others can today relate to.

The principles of guidance are unchanging and applies to all no matter the time. To this end, governance and its impact on the citizens must be looked at as a whole.

If there have been governments that passed, and if there had been the existence of individuals who today are expressing opinions through platforms that had existed even before those governments were witnessed but have failed to express same opinions, then we have a fundamental issue to consider.

It has always been the case that citizens are theorised and sermonised as well as admonished from the pulpit to make sacrifices for the House of God by donating their breath-taking resources for the good of the Church, but the same is never said for the nation.

From the pulpit, it appears the citizens have a responsibility to God and the church only, but that, other responsibilities are from the state to individuals. This spirit cannot aid in the building of our nation. If the voice of the people is the voice of God, then their existence in the nation must be much of a concern.

Ghana may be hard today as we are told, however, has the state Ghana become better or worse of? Today, government had committed huge sums of monies into the building of schools. This is a country in which common basic amenities are lacking, should government choose putting monies in people’s pockets or build the social and capital infrastructure we need?

Government has over the years, invested in improving the health infrastructure of our society. The successes chalked in the sector appears unparalleled. A completely new structure at the Ridge Regional Hospital, the Legon Teaching Hospital, the Dodowa Hospital and the Fomena Hospital, the Regional Maritime Hospital, the installation of strategic hospital equipment at Korle Bu and other hospitals.

Today, certain sicknesses that hitherto were flown out of the country, are being done here in Ghana.

It may not reflect in the lives of some people. To some, no matter what is done, they would always travel out for medical care because they can afford to. To many, they would attend what we have because that is what they can afford.

However, even the rich who can afford to fly for longs hours, and especially because they can afford, where distance is of importance, would appreciate the efforts at improving hospitals and health care delivery.

It is therefore important to ensure that, when we say certain things, the context may be misinterpreted, and for that matter, be mindful of it. I have always maintained, that, it is important to know personally the people we seek to be speaking for and be sure we are speaking their language before exposing ourselves to certain unnecessary attacks.

Ghana has tremendously taken a bold step under this government to invest heavily in infrastructure projects which are the fundamentals in having a strong and resilient economy that would eventually make things ‘soft’ for the people of this country.

The reality is that, a capitalist cannot measure socialist ideologies and expect the person to passed. To this end, we can pardon the pastor for his comment because he is definitely measuring with a different lenses.

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