Vote for politicians whose manifestoes focus on building capacity

Electorates have been urged to vote for political leaders whose manifestoes and campaign speeches focus on building the capacity of the country's human resource to make them self-reliant.

The General Overseer of the Kingdom Grace Church International (KGCI), Rev. Dr Seth Nana Opoku, who made the call, also urged politicians to desist from using inflammatory language as they intensified their campaign across the country.

He was speaking at the 24th anniversary of the KGCI in Accra yesterday, an occasion which drew congregants from all the 18 branches of the church.

Sustainable policies  

According to him, what the public needed was "not to be given fish, but to be taught how to fish."

That, he said, meant that politicians who were campaigning to be elected to form the next government ought to give clear policies that would be geared towards creating a conducive environment for people to acquire and apply innovative skills to earn a livelihood. 

"The fact is that we need the right structures that will help raise the right people because when we raise people, the people will raise the country," he added.

Dr Opoku observed that with the right political leadership and policy direction, the country could be put on a sound footing, adding that it was important for electorates to reject politicians whose messages lacked that ingredient.

‘Stop prophesying electoral outcomes’ 

Touching on the issue of clergymen who have joined the bandwagon of prophesying the outcome of this year’s election for one political party or the other, he observed that such a tendency could heighten tension ahead of the election and create insecurity.

He urged the clergy to use the pulpit to educate their flock on the need to refrain from all negative acts that could lead to electoral violence rather than engaging in divisive prophecies.

"We need to let the public know that God has already determined the one who will be the next President and those who will be parliamentarians.  No one can change God's plan, so we can only agree to disagree in an atmosphere of tolerance rather than using crude ways to win power," he said. 

Dr Opoku said it was part of the church's transformational agenda to be agents of change and an emblem of peace in the society.

Sermon

He delivered the sermon from Isaiah 61:1-7, and assured the congregation that the favour of God was upon them and that they would succeed if they looked up to God for direction.

He urged them to live their lives according to the commandments of God which required human beings to establish a healthy relationship with their neighbours and with God.

Dr Opoku observed that God's special favour was upon the country and that despite the religious, ethnic and political differences, peace and unity would keep all citizens together.