Don�t Insult The President During Phone-In Programmes � Bishop

The Bishop Administrative Assistant of the West Ghana Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church, Bishop Hellina Swanzi Essien, has renewed the call on Ghanaians to desist from insulting the President, Ministers of State, and opposition leaders, through phone-in programmes on radio and television. She said freedom of speech mandated by the 1992 Constitution, does not provide liberty to the people to malign and vilify leaders of the country. Bishop Essien made the call in a sermon delivered at the inauguration of the newly-created Swedru District of the Church at Agona-Swedru in the Central Region. She said the time had come for Ghanaians, especially, the youth, not to use the democratic dispensation as a platform to ridicule certain personalities in society. Bishop Essien who is also the Headmistress of the AME Zion Senior High School in Winneba, stated that this is a bad behavior which can affect the development of the country in future. According to Bishop Essien, Ghanaians are complaining of economic hardships and social frustrations, but that should not give them the room, especially the political activists, to insult our leaders. She stated that many Ghanaians have refused to honour their tax obligations, but yet still they want the government to provide quality education, roads, health, water and other social amenities. Bishop Essien cautioned leaders and other high profile government officials who have been given positions not to take advantage to indulge in bribery and corrupt practices that would affect the development of the nation. The Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, in a speech read on his behalf, called on Christians not only to spend their time praying for manna to fall from heaven, but to engage in profitable ventures to reduce their economic hardships. He said the time was ripe for church leaders to spend much on human resource development, to help promote the social, intellectual and emotional developments of their congregation. Mr Ahwoi said: �While we seek spiritual enhancement and empowerment, it is also important to reflect on building a legacy for God�. Mr Ahwoi hinted that the internet is one of the credible technology tools which is a useful resource that should be explored to support human resource development. Reverend Isaac Francis Gyepi Gabrah, Presiding Elder of the newly-created Agona-Swedru District of the Church, disclosed that the district had instituted a development fund to support the congregation, especially, women to expand their businesses. He said another priority of the newly-created district, was to ensure that more churches were planted in the four administrative districts, namely, Agona West, Agona East, Gomoa East and Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, where the church is sited, to win more souls for Christ.