By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, July 6, GNA — The Africa Center for the Study of Worldviews and Wholistic Development of Societies says the nation needs more than prayers.
“It needs a change of mindsets and attitudes,” a statement released by Dr. Chris Ampadu, the Director of the Center, to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday, said.
While it welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s declaration of July 1 as a National Day of Prayer, it raised concerns that it only affirmed Ghana’s religiosity without confronting the alleged moral and governance issues crippling national development.
“While it’s very important to take note of the love for prayers by all religious people… it is important to examine our love for prayers vis a vis our mindsets and attitudes,” the statement stated.
It noted that Ghana was richly endowed with natural resources, fertile land, good rainfall and talented people. Yet, it argued, the country continued to pray “as if God has done nothing for us.”
It questioned whether national problems like poverty, disease, hunger, and recent devastating floods were from God or are “manmade; through alleged citizens’ carelessness, greed, selfishness, corrupt and immoral ways.”
The statement 2 Chronicles 7:14, which read: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land”, and said prayer must be accompanied by repentance.
The statement challenged successive governments to account for monies allegedly received since the 1990s from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and other agencies for drainage, dredging, sewage and sanitation.
“If half of that amount has been spent on the improvement of our sewage and drainage systems in Accra and other cities, the problems would have been somehow solved,” it said.
It also accused some District Assemblies, Metropolitan offices, and political appointees whom allegedly “majority are religious people who are either in the Church or Mosque” of prioritising personal gain over public service.
“Leaders and people who are thieves, greedy, selfish, corrupt and immoral are all praying since they are all religious and the call is for them to pray not to change their ways,” it added.
Quoting Proverbs 14:32 which states that, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any nation”, the statement said religious leaders allegedly knew the “wicked and corrupt nature” of some members but often failed to call them to repentance.
Instead of just conventions and fasting, it therefore proposed that the day should be observed as National Day of Repentance and Prayer to remind citizens to turn from alleged greed, selfishness, wickedness and corruption.
“God can only hear prayers of those who humble themselves, seek Him sincerely and turn away from their sins and wickedness,” the statement concluded.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Elsie Appiah-Osei, GNA
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