It is quite sad and shameful that we have become a society that has resorted to "instant justice"... Anytime names pop up for accusations, whether alleged or proven, we just pounce on the accused and "finish them" as we normally term it.
Recently, it happened to our beloved Major Mahama, the innocent army officer who was gruesomely and calamitously brutalized and murdered by the same people he had been assigned to provide protection for just because a snail seller had allegedly sparked an attack.
The sad thing is that the Ghanaian' turn round to shed 'crocodile tears' for the same people they had done irreparable harm.
Recently, Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur, a former Second Lady of our country, paid tribute to her late husband, Mr. Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur, at his funeral grounds. According to Mrs Amissah-Arthur, certain people who had acted in various ways to insult and give the impression that her husband had lost every value to them suddenly started visiting her home immediately the husband passed on. She said she was surprised and so made a statement and I quote, “I asked myself, is this Ghana? Are all these people in Ghana because the maligning, the lies, the treachery, the wickedness, the deliberately changing things so that you could look better than others.”
I think this statement is deep as it calls for introspection or soul-searching not only on the part of those the statement is directed at but also the rest of us as we all keep some relationships. The statement means a lot and an aspect of its meaning seems to suggest that we are not committed to relationships for their own sake but mostly for what we can gain from them even if at the expense of someone's life or suffering.
Can this statement truly describe us? I hope not.
It's quite sad that we the young people of today have taken the stand to destroy, malign and crucify people at the least provocation.
As a people, we have insulted past presidents to death, locked innocent officers in offices, beaten an innocent poor woman going to withdraw her own paltry sum of money from the bank, and we have also insulted presidents out of office. What a people!
I am flabbergasted at the sudden attack on Dr. Mensa Otabil, the renowned clergy on the premise of allegation and incomplete reports on issues of financial mismanagement at the Capital Bank.
There is absolutely nothing wrong when we question and chastise the one charged with corporate corruption by a competent court of justice, and even that, we should be cautious and circumspect because any human institution can be fallible.
My worry is that, suddenly, notable clergies in the country have sprung on the news scene pointing accusing fingers at the as if they had already prepared their speech in waiting for him to falter. Let me remind them that they must not lose sight that they will not be spared by these same people when their issues come public. There is a Fanti proverb that says "Se ekoto de wo nyanko n'abodwerehyew a, saw nsu si wodze ho", which is simply translated that "when you see your friend's beard on fire, make water ready by your side just in case".
We can read the story of Judah and his widowed daughter-in-law, Tamar, in Genesis 38:6-26 with particular reference to verses 24, 25 & 26. Judah had denied Tamar his son Shelah for a husband. Following this Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and succeeded in getting Judah to sleep with her. Months later Tamar was reported pregnant and Judah wanted her to be stoned to death for fornication without even finding out whether it was true and by whom she was pregnant. Judah has been overtaken by hasty conclusion and this is the attitude of most Ghanaians. We seem not to think that certain problems could also come our way and so we should have the patience to gather all the facts before we come to conclusions.
Guess what, Dr. Otabil has become the centre of discussions on the collapse of all the five banks as if he is the Chief Executive Officer who supervised the operations of the banks. Interestingly, he is the only Board Chair whose name has been for the mismanagement of the Capital Bank and the CEO is shielded, whereas the board members of the other banks have not been mentioned, we don't even hear of them, can consider that as normal? On the 15th of August, 2018, all the major newspapers in Ghana splashed Dr. Otabil's pictures on their front pages and while television stations rolled his pictures on their screens and radio stations made minced meat of his name, all in their main news accusing and projecting him as a corrupt person, without allowing the due process of investigation to conclude on the matter. What a people! The point is, unlike the case of Major Mahama, and others, we may not be attacking Dr Otabil with stones, clubs, machetes, and axes, but we are hurting his soul with written and especially verbal abuse, which is the most damaging tool that ever existed. "The power of life and death is in the hands of the tongue," so says the Bible.
We do not want to even pause and think about what he is going through at this point, not to talk about his immediate family, and the thousands of his followers. The last time I checked, over forty thousand people gathered at the Independence Square in Accra alone at the recent Greater Works Confrence.
All of a sudden, in the Ghanaian media space the Board Chairman has become the Centre of all business operations. In fact, from radio stations and television stations people carry books to define what the board chairman's roles are. The Chief Executive Officer of the Bank is not even mentioned in most cases, yet all the previous corrupt engagements in Ghana that have become public, Chief Executives and Managing Directors are cited as main perpetrators...It's all about trying to nail Dr. Mensa Otabil and unfortunately clergies have held press conferences on him...some parliamentarians have called for his head, the social media space was flooded with insults and scornful abuse...What fire!
For those of us who declare our stand for Dr. Otabil, we have received negative bashing on Facebook, but we are unfazed by the furore of their provocative words.
Dr. Otabil is an anointed man of God and I have witnessed him spend decades of his entire prime life preaching the word of God, impacting souls, raising leaders and shaping visions. He has contributed significantly to national development by inspiring the youth of today and is respected globally.
He and his church have given scholarships to thousands of Ghanaian needy students, including myself and the numbers suggest that so far no other institution in Ghana can match that educational support so let us respect his brand and integrity, and stop using the media to destroy his hard-earned reputation. We cannot rely solely on the media reports to judge men who have tirelessly earned their respect by building their brands and businesses over the years.
Dr. Otabil's call as a pastor goes beyond Ghana. He is a prophet for the continent, and he is highly respected across the world ..."A prophet is not without honour except in his own country, among his own relatives, and his own house". Few days ago, he boldly declared God's prophecy of restoration for Africa and that Ghana must aim at 20% economic growth year on year to catch up with development to make significant mark in the world.
He said the current wealth of Africa, the entire wealth of the 54 African countries, is $2.2 trillion yet the wealth of just four companies in America ---- Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon ----- put together is $2.5 trillion, which is more than the wealth of the whole of Africa. The interesting part is that these companies were established long after African countries had gained independence.
These are issues that must be given media airtime, to constitute the discussion as to how we can plan growth rates that can propel Africa countries into prosperity to free their people's from the poverty and hardships facing them.
If for nothing at all, those of us who profess to belief in God should accord every man of God some respect because whether they like it or not, they represent God on earth.
Source: Jojo Quayson
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Aren’t we responsible for our own integrity?
Jojo Quayson, The onslaught on Dr Otabil should be seen from his business activities and NOT from his pulpit activities. When he has superintended the wrongful disbursement of the BoG's bail out money intended to provide relief to the ailing Capital Bank (CB) so it can strategise to get back to profitability, and when queried by public the outcry and he responds to say he was a non-executive director, what do you expect the public to say? Because you are a preacher, you shouldn't be blamed?? Did he not enjoy all the benefits as a director of CB? The wrongful use of the government loan were decided at the Board level where he chaired meetings AND NOT at the Management level where day-to-day executive activities take place. Among the illegal disbursements made by CB following their Board's decision, were (a) increase in the fees and allowances to Directors plus offer of first and business class air tickets; (b) GHS27.5m for promotion; (c) GHS130m for a "strategic" and "highly confidential" transaction - that was what the Board was told by the majority shareholder Ato Essien when they enquired about what the GHS130m was to be used for. He promised to return that money by March 2016. Otabil placed his integrity on the line when he backed Essien's promise that the funds will be returned in March 2016. That Board meeting was held in October 2015, the very month that Sovereign Bank (SB) was given its universal license to operate by the BoG. We now know that the capital used by SB to secure its license came from the bailout loan given to CB by BoG. So then Jojo, when Otabil presides over a Board meeting in October 2015 where the decision to disburse the BoG bailout loan was taken and he approved those decisions as Board Chairman, should we keep quite because he is a preacher? There is a huge difference between his role as a preacher and as a businessman. He took up that board position with his eyes wide open, not as a preacher but as a businessman. My friend, all those involved in deciding the fraudulent use of the BoG bailout funds must be prosecuted and if found guilty, jailed!! If Otabil didn't read the about the role and duties of a director to a body corporate that he/she sits on its board as stated in the Companies Act, then that director should not be exonerated when acts of malfeasance occurs that implicates the board. Period!!!
1 Peter 4:15-17. Let's not forget that after Moses toil to lead the Israelites throughout the wilderness, he missed entering the promised land. However, he appeared in the transfiguration. A soldier does not entangle himself in civil matters. Being a messenger of God does not make you God. Every fall is preceded by Pride. All true Christians should learn this for God cannot be mocked. You were coveting peoples money in the name of God and when you were called to attention, you came out to justify and this subjected our God to public ridicule. A man of God is not above God's punishment. He is a loving God but also a just God.
If truth be told Mensah Otabil has enemies he has not even heard from. yet.In Ghana one slip up and all the good things you've done go up in smoke.After many years in the ministry ICGC has given scholarships to numerous children and if you go to the OSu Children's home, the best building there was put up by the ICGC.Now the man is an arch -angel a messenger of doom.Ghanaians will always be Ghanaians . My regret is the man choosing to accept a position he was ill equipped to handle.The managers of the bank would be doing things on your blind side and you will be the last to know.The entire NDC bandwagon has always been against Mensah Otabil and are gleefully rubbing their hands as they savour what they believe to be the downfall of an arch enemy.And all those m0r0ns saying he portrayed himself as being without blemish should show me one tape on which the man has said he is better than the rest of us.Obinim and other illiterate preachers are having a field day ripping off their victims and buying Rolls Royces and the cowardly Ghanaian is sitting on his ***barred word*** pretending he doesn't have a mouth..Whether you bash him or not the man is a colossus so hounds and coyotes will always be baying at his heels.
Dr MENSAH IS BEING JUDGED BY HIS OWN WORDS, OVER THE YEARS HE MADE EVERYBODY BELIEVES, HE WAS THE WISDOM MAN AND AND DO NOT SEE OTHERS AS HUMANS THAT CAN MAKE MISTAKES, BUT SINCE TIME WE SAY WILL TELL, IT IS NOW HIS TURN TO EXPLAIN TO GHANAIANS THE WISDOM IN MISMANAGING THE HARD EARNED FUNDS OF INDIVIDUALS.
GOD IS GOOD!,GOD IS GOOD!!,GOD IS GOOD!!!
By the time we finish there will be no Ghanaian Heroes Left. The Ghana Entrepreneurs like the Amoabengs, Mike Nyinaku, Ken ofori Attas are endangered. The Same Ghanaians who were provided employment by these men have turned round to vilify them.
Sorry typo... family and dependants
Jojo, have you not heard that to whom much is given, much is required? Have you not also learnt that uneasy lies the head that wears the crown? Pastor Otabil has always been held on a high pedestal in this country, mainly because of his deeds and utterances. People expected same from him and trust me, if this had happened in any of the developed countries, the story would have been different. You are worried about his family. Great! What about the family and defendants of the workers of the collapsed entity he was supposed to supervise with all the wisdom he dishes out? Please stand with/by him at all cost, but point out to him where he failed and why he should zip his mouth. That “God is good” sermon was not appropriate. I am a staunch Christian, read and believe in the Bible, but will not support what is not right. Indeed, God is good all the time and all the time, God is good!
Dr Otabil is not a pastor. He is a businessman who uses the bible to deceive people to enrich himself. Last year at the Greater Works he offered 'blessings' ranging from $5000 to $100.This year at the same event he condemned the critics of 'prosperity goepel' arguing that if Apple is reported to be worth a trillion dollars why not a church. He further stated that very soon ICGC or another will be as valuable as Apple. The question is that the focus of the church of Christ? We are waiting to see the day ICGC will be listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. Are you therefore supprised that inspite of the many churches there's so much corruption in the country? By the way we want to know the shareholders of ICGC and Central University. This is the man that preaches my year o purity, perfection, etc. Jesus warned: by thir fruits.....