Lawlessness taking root in country — Pentecostal council

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has bemoaned what it describes as "the increasing acts of violence and lawlessness taking root in the country".

The council has, therefore, called on the government to as a matter of urgency put in place mechanisms to address these issues which could plunge Ghana into a state of chaos if left unaddressed.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of its 2019 conference at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region yesterday, the President of the GCPP, Professor Paul Frimpong-Manso, said the recent violence that occurred at the Ayawaso by-election, the kidnapping of girls in Takoradi, murder cases and armed robbery were issues that needed to be tackled by the government without delay.

"As a council, we are worried and concerned about the murder cases that occurred at Tema, the kidnapping of girls in Takoradi, and the Ayawaso by-election violence. These are serious issues of national concern that must be properly handled," he said.

The theme for the three-day conference is "Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council: Celebrating 50 years of Pentecostal influence".

Background

Ghana has witnessed some security issues in the past few months—a situation that has raised a lot of concern among the people.

In the latter part of December last year, three girls in Takoradi in the Western Region were kidnapped by some unknown people.

The police is yet to find their whereabouts.

Two people, including a pastor and a worker at the Tema Port, were also murdered.

The recent by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon also witnessed some violence, with some people sustaining gun wounds.

These issues, Prof. Frimpong-Mansa said, must be tackled immediately else its effect would overwhelm the country.

"Ghana has always been a peaceful country and these recent security issues do not speak well of the country and its leadership," he said.

On the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, Professor Frimpong-Manso asked political party leaders, especially the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to ban all vigilante groups within their parties.

"These vigilante groups must be stopped now else Ghana will one day pay for their actions," he said.

Other issues

Professor Frimpong-Manso also mentioned the need for attention to be placed on the country's sanitation, indicating that the nature of Ghana's sanitation "does not speak well about the people."

He urged stakeholders and citizens to take active part in addressing the poor sanitation, particularly at the markets and in homes.