Accra, Ghana – The President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, has expressed profound gratitude to the Catholic Church for their intercessory prayers, particularly during the 2024 elections, which contributed to maintaining peace and stability in the country.
Speaking during a meeting with the Catholic Bishops Conference, the President acknowledged the Church’s unwavering commitment to national development and their bold stance on societal issues.
“Thank you for the intercessory prayers you have always been saying for Ghana, especially during the election, for Ghana to have a peaceful election. I thank the Catholic Church for speaking out on issues and because you have proven that your voice cannot be suppressed. Your contribution to society is a partnership we treasure,” the President said.
President Mahama commended the Catholic Church’s remarkable investment in the education and health sectors, highlighting their invaluable role in shaping Ghana’s development.
He disclosed plans for deeper collaboration between the government and the Church, particularly in managing their schools and integrating values such as morality, courtesy, and patriotism into the educational curriculum.
“Your investment in education and health is remarkable. There are proposals as to how we can engage you on managing your schools, as well as how we can tweak the curriculum to include values of morality, courtesy for boys and girls, and patriotism,” he added.
The President revealed his expectation for the Catholic Church to actively participate in the upcoming national education conference.
He also emphasized the need to support the Church in generating sustainable income.
“My expectation is that we will invite you to partake in the national education conference. We also have to look at how we can help the Catholic Church grow into income generation,” he said.
On behalf of the Bishops, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, Vice President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, congratulated President Mahama on his decisive victory in the 2024 general elections, stating that the results reflect the trust Ghanaians have in his leadership.
“We came to congratulate you for your decisive victory, which shows Ghanaians believe in you. Now you must focus on dealing with post-election violence,” Rev. Fianu said.
He also noted that the Catholic Bishops Conference would be holding an education review from March 10th to 15th.
However, he clarified that the review would not conflict with the government’s planned national education dialogue.
“From 10th-15th March, the Catholic Bishops Conference is holding an education review, so it’s not as though we are competing with your national education conference. But our focus is to imbibe in our children a sense of nationalism and morality,” he explained.
The Bishops took the opportunity to appeal to the government to address pressing national concerns, including illegal mining (galamsey), the LGBTQ Bill, and the ongoing conflict in Bawku.
“We plead that your government takes a serious look at galamsey and curb it,” Rev. Fianu urged.
He continued, “LGBTQ BILL, our hope is that you will take a look at it. We already know your position, but we are hopeful that you will sign it into law. And also on the Bawku conflict, we are hoping that your government will deal with the conflict.”
President Mahama reassured the Catholic Church of his administration’s commitment to addressing these concerns and fostering a stronger partnership with religious institutions for the betterment of Ghana.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites) / Ahotoronline.com | Ghana