Saviour Church Of Ghana- a legally registered religious entity headed by Elia Asirifi Asante as the General Superintendent has become a victim of religious persecution in this country for well over a decade.
This is made possible by a group of people operating in the name of �THE SAVIOUR CHURCH OF GHANA�. This latter church is distinct and different from our Church in many respects. As a matter of fact, it was registered subsequent to some members of our Church refusing to accept the spiritual succession plan that the spirit had ordained and its attendant issues after the demise of our beloved Father and Founder Opanyin Isaac Kwadwo Asirifi.
As we speak, some of these major issues are subject matters of legal determination.
However, this new group headed by one Abraham Kweku Adusei has made it a matter of life mission to intimidate, persecute, harm and even kill our members at any given opportunity. These callous acts grow in magnitude and impact due to police unwillingness and sometimes regrettable show of deliberate vulnerability to prosecute crimes against our Church and its membership.
One of their attacks left a member of our congregation dead on 2003 to which there are police and medical reports. And up till date, no action has been taken as regards bringing the perpetrators to justice. Many more have happened after this.
The most recent one is the attacks on us by thugs sent by Abraham Kwaku Adusei and his outfit, when we went for an outdoor religious event in a town known as Juansa in the Ashanti Region on 27th September, 2013. We were attacked, beaten, injured and had our tents and platforms we had erected for the event completely destroyed. Many of our members were injured in the process.
Our cars and other properties were vandalized. A complaint was consequently lodged at the Konongo Police Station. As we speak today, the docket that was prepared on this case is yet to see the light of court. This is so because, despite the Attorney General�s express directive that the case be prosecuted, an order letter from the National Security directed otherwise to the Konongo Divisional Command. This deliberate police inaction occasioned by so-called superior orders is what emboldens these thugs to continue visiting mayhem on our peaceful and law abiding church.
Another issue of extreme bother to us as it constitutes yet another infringement on our fundamental human rights as a group, is the decision and announcement of same by Abraham Kwaku Adusei etal not to allow our members visit OSiem-where the church�s Headquarters and the Founder�s grave are located. Several attempts including engagements with the Police and other Security Agencies have failed to make this visit possible.
They cite one flimsy excuse or the other why we cannot be given police escort to our hometown. What is particularly worrying and poses a great deal of danger to Ghana�s rule of law, is the refusal of our Security Agencies to enforce a court order asking that we be protected to visit our hometown and Headquarters of our Great Church.
We recognize that we are in a country governed by laws, where crime is punished and the enjoyment of fundamental human rights is guaranteed to all without recourse to religion, sect, creed, color, gender or place of origin. Why is it different with Saviour Church of Ghana and its following? Are we not qualified Ghanaians deserving of the Nation�s protection?
We have suffered persecution and brutality in silence for far too long in our own country. Although we have not been given the deserved attention of the law, we are still faithful in the law. That is why we have remained victims and never attempt to fight back in any violent manner anytime we are provoked, attacked and harmed. However, our patience has been dragged to its elastic limit. If our country can no longer uphold its own laws and defend us as citizens, we may be forced to resort to self-help.
In order that we don�t get to this limit, we are demanding that;
� All suspects in the Juansa attack be made to face the law immediately by prosecuting them
� The police service must show more muscle and willingness to enforce our laws
� The Police must enforce the court order and escort us to Osiem
� The Security Agencies must ensure we worship in peace anywhere in our country without any attacks from anybody or group
We further call on the President of the republic, all peace-loving Ghanaians, Civil Society Organizations and other opinion leaders to come to our rescue. We have suffered long enough.
God Bless our Homeland Ghana!!
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