The Ahanta West District Assembly has summoned the leadership of the Sacred Action Chapel church at Busua to explain why it must not be banned for indoctrinating children in the community who are members of the church, not to attend school.
The church has allegedly been teaching the children that Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, did not attend any school and that they must concentrate on becoming prophets and prophetesses in future, instead of going to school.
A source which spoke to 'The Chronicle' alleged that an SHS 3 student of Badu Bonsoe Senior High School at Agona Nkwanta, whose name was only given as Florence, dropped out of school in the name of being trained to become a prophetess.
Some of the children who decide to go to school as a result of pressures from community members only go to the classroom to meditate for hours, without paying attention to what they are being taught.
This sordid development has come as a source of worry to the teachers in the area and the Assembly Member.
Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive for Ahanta West, Joseph Dofoyena, who is alarmed over the development, held a town hall meeting at Busua last Wednesday to discuss the issue.
The meeting was attended by the representative of the Paramount Chief for Ahanta, Otumfuo Baidoe Bonsoe.
Also present were the Assembly member, Joseph Christian Essien, Unit committee members and the entire leadership of the Busua community. The Assembly Member for Busua Electoral Area, Mr. Joseph Christian Essien, confirmed the story when The Chronicle contacted him on phone.
He noted that the doctrine of the church that children should not be in school because the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, did not go to school himself, was a source of worry to the whole community.
The Assembly Member, Essien, further told this reporter that a parent whose ward had abandoned school as a result of the doctrine of the church went and confronted the church, which is headed by one Pastor Nana Kwame Mensah.
The leadership of the church, who also attended the meeting, according to the assemblyman, denied the allegation but the meeting directed him (assembly member) and the traditional authorities to monitor the activities of the church for sanctions to be imposed.
When The Chronicle contacted the District Directorate of Education, its Public Relations Officer, Daniel Payne, said his outfit was not aware of the problem and that the Circuit Supervisor would be informed to investigate.
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