Religious leaders urged to avoid election predictions, prophecies

Most Reverend Philip Naameh, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, has urged religious leaders not to meddle in political parties' campaigns with predictions and prophecies that have the tendency to mar the country's democratic credentials. He said such predictions often created undue pressure, tension and anxiety, adding they could adversely influence the choice of voters and cast doubts on the country's electoral system's competence and capabilities. Most Reverend Naameh made the call during a national stakeholders' forum on promoting peaceful 2024 elections in Ghana. The forum, held in Tamale, was organised by the National Peace Council (NPC) with funding support from the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). It was under the theme: 'Building Trust for Peaceful 2024 Elections' and attracted stakeholders, including traditional authorities, security agencies, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), representatives of political parties, youth-led organisations, labour groups, and people w ith disabilities, among others. Most Reverend Naameh urged them to use their platforms to encourage the various institutions to uphold the principles of truthfulness, accountability and justice to promote sustainable peace. Reverend Dr Ernest Adu Gyamfi, Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Peace Council, said the forum was part of efforts to build trust to promote and sustain peaceful coexistence before, during and after the 2024 elections. He encouraged the citizenry to disassociate themselves from any action that tended to disrupt the peace and tolerance enjoyed in the country. Dr Chukwuemeka Eze, Executive Director of West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), who spoke on the available mechanisms for managing election-related disputes, expressed the need for more pre-election dialogues to prepare the mindset of the citizenry for the outcomes of the upcoming elections. Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu, Northern Regional Minister, who lauded the initiative, said it was critical towards rece iving early warning signals on possible conflicts and to design suitable interventions to address them. He added that achieving sustainable peace in the country required the collective efforts of all citizens to ensure that democratic processes were not compromised. He urged the citizenry to embrace the spirit of togetherness and foster a culture of peace to ensure that the 2024 elections became a testament to the country's enduring democratic values. Mr Yakubu Abdul-Majeed, Northern Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, called on the Electoral Commission and security agencies to prioritise the safety and protection of media practitioners for objective and balanced reportage on the elections. Source: Ghana News Agency