By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA
Kumasi, Feb 19, GNA – The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged Muslims to be key actors in Ghana’s quest to achieve another milestone in conducting a peaceful election this year.
He said Muslims were major stakeholders in national development and must actively participate in all electoral processes seeking to deliver a credible election that would be accepted by all Ghanaians.
Speaking at the 52nd celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed at Aboabo in Kumasi, the Vice President said Muslims had a critical role to play in ensuring a peaceful election in December.
Thousands of Muslims belonging the Tijania sect gathered at the Aboabo School Park for the annual event hosted by Sheikh Abdul Wadud Harun Cissey, President of Tijania Muslims in Ghana.
Also in attendance was the Former President, John Dramani Mahama, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, the National Chief Imam and several other Islamic Clerics.
Dr Bawumia said people in Zongo communities who were predominantly Muslims were tagged as violent due to the activities of a few miscreants and charged Islamic leaders to counsel the youth to stay away from politicians, who may want to use them to perpetrate violence.
He said the Prophet stood for peace and as followers, Muslims must be ambassadors for peace in all their endeavours to serve notice for people who turn to Zongos in their quest to commit mayhem.
He admonished the Zongo youth to tell politicians who engage them for any form of electoral malpractice to recruit their families first, saying that, there are machomen in every family in Ghana.
According to the Vice President, Allah had blessed Ghana as a peaceful country and government was determined to sustain the peace for accelerated development.
He said Ghana was progressing under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Zongos were not left out as government continued to commit more resources for the development of Zongos across the country.
Zongo communities, he observed, received massive infrastructural development and other social amenities under this government than any other under the fourth republic.
Dr Bawumia further indicated that no government since independence dedicated funds and an entire ministry just to address the numerous challenges confronting Zongos and inner cities apart from the Akufo-AAdo-led administration.
He said President Akufo-Addo kept faith with Ghanaians after delivering 78 per cent of promises he made to the electorate in three years, adding that, the NPP managed the economy better than its predecessor.
GNA