Electoral violence being witnessed in the country could be attributed to too much power vested in the presidency, a former General Secretary of the Christian Council, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has observed. He said the winner-takes-all syndrome facilitated by the constitution, gives the President the sole power to appoint ministers of state, heads of state enterprises and other critical agencies, such as security agencies and the Electoral Commission, making the stakes high during elections.

He added that politics had also become a business venture in recent times in which people sell their homes, take loans from the banks and invest them in election campaigns; hence, the resolve to win at all cost to recoup the investments made.

“We are drifting from patriotism, and love for the nation to politics as investment and business. If it is patriotism and I don’t get it, it is painful, but I can go back to sleep. If you make politics a business where people have invested so much, and they don’t win, it becomes difficult to accept.”

“That’s why we go into the vigilante; they want to arm innocent young people and they don’t care. Anybody that comes across their path they want to clear because of the business and investment issues. They can’t stand to see their business go to waste. That is one of the major challenges we face,” he said.

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong, a Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, stated this in an interview with the Daily Graphic as part of a campaign for zero tolerance for electoral violence, saying no blood should be shed in this year’s election.

He noted that though there had been a constitutional review during the tenure of the late President Professor John Evans Atta-Mills, his successor failed to implement it, leading to the persistence of the structural political problems.

Electioneering

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong, who is also a lecturer in African Christianity at the Department of Religious Studies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, stated that as the electioneering heated up, there was a need for all stakeholders, especially religious and traditional leaders to come on board to drum home the need to ensure that the country did not record any violence before, during and after this year’s Presidential and Parliamentary polls.

“As the electioneering gathers momentum, politicians will be visiting your churches, mosques and palaces and there is a need for our pastors, Imams and chiefs to impress upon them to campaign based on issues and what they can do for the nation devoid of insults and hate speech,” he said.

“The same way our political leaders visit our churches, mosques and palaces to seek our blessing and prayers, when they come we must let them also commit to zero tolerance of electoral death. And we will still say that our soil must not drink the blood of innocent people. And this is a vow that we must take. The horror of electoral violence must end,” Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong added.

He noted that Ghana had come far with its multi-party democracy and all stakeholders, especially political leaders, their supporters and the entire citizenry must guard against electoral violence that tended to mar the beauty of the country’s democracy, which had been hailed as a shining example in the sub-region.

He, therefore, bemoaned the incident that happened at Techiman, the capital of the Bono East Region, where some people lost their lives during the 2020 general election, saying everything must be done to prevent such an unfortunate incident in this year’s general election.

A senior Lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has called for disciplinary measures that would prevent the nurturing of intellectual criminals in the country.

One of such measures, he said, should be the reintroduction of the Presbyterian type of discipline in basic and senior high schools, as well as at the tertiary level.

That, according to him, had become necessary because intelligent criminals were not the best for nation-building.

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong made the observation when he delivered a lecture in memory of the late Rev. Dr Benson Nkansa-Kyeremateng, a former principal of the Presbyterian College of Education at Kibi in the Eastern Region.

Rev. Dr Nkansa-Kyeremateng was noted for the disciplinary measures he introduced into the college.

In attendance were staff and management of the college, some directors of education, some basic school teachers, parents and the clergy, among others.

Speaking on the theme: “Presbyterian Discipline: Critical Tool for Reshaping the Youth for Ghana’s Socio-Economic Development”, he said in the past, pupils and students in Presbyterian educational institutions were imbibed with discipline associated with the Presbyterian Church.

He explained that the Presbyterian discipline was the moral principle the Basel Mission used in church, public and private life.

“You don’t do the right thing because somebody is watching you but do the right thing because you think it is right. People must do what is right because they know is right,” the senior lecturer stated. That, he said, made it possible for the pupils and students to grow up to be useful citizens who eschewed all forms of negative tendencies such as bribery and corruption and that enabled society to progress.

“We are losing the moral consciousness in our public and private lives and the young ones coming out of school should be imbibed with these principles,” he added.
Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong, who is also a former General Secretary of the Christian Council, said it was unfortunate that any person put in public places either looked for favours or demanded to be given something before performing such functions.

That, he indicated, was alien to scholars imbibed with the Presbyterian type of discipline, which must be revisited to fine-tune leaders of the country.

He said for a start, people must be conscious of what they did and that could only be accomplished if they were highly disciplined.

Intelligent criminals

He indicated that education without moral and spiritual values normally produced intelligent criminals and that was why many criminals were manipulating the system of the country today.

According to Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong discipline had a history when the missionaries came and decided to use moral principles for church members at homes, schools and their established hospitals.

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong stated that the critical tools that the country needed immediately were to shape the youth for socio-economic development and that, conduct and behaviour in public service must be a national priority.

Solved problems

The Principal of the Kibi Presbyterian College of Education, Rev. Charles Fosu-Ayarkwah, said revisiting the Presbyterian discipline would help the Ghanaian youth and the youth of the world to be reshaped to pave the way for socio-economic development.

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Kibi Presbyterian College of Education, Emmanuel Victor Oware Dankwa, who chaired the occasion, said the Presbyterian Church valued discipline so much and that the time had come for the country to emulate it immediately to solve problems.

He urged the students to uphold the values of Presbyterian discipline wherever they find themselves.

Rev Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, a former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana says Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) must be pursued with morals. “The STEM Education must have another M, standing for morality we should not overlook the need for morality in that level of education.” He said Ghana had to make deliberate efforts in shaping the morals of the youth to ensure that morality was not disconnected from educational pursuits.

“The Ministry of Education is doing so well with the STEM and I’m so excited with the STEM module schools but we can’t take away morality.”

He warned that if issues of morality were not incorporated into the STEM “we may be producing intelligent criminals in the near future.”

Dr Opuni-Frimpong also the Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy, Africa, and a lecturer, mentioned that training people in engineering, pharmacy, ICT and other critical areas of science without morals could be a danger to society.

He made the submissions as a guest speaker at Nkansa-Kyeremateng Memorial Lectures at the Kibi Presbyterian College of Education on the theme: “Presbyterian Discipline, A Critical Tool for Reshaping the Youth for Ghana’s Socio-economic Development”.

He explained that a moral vision that emanates from God consciousness and understanding, which determined what to be done right was critical to national development.

“That is all the famous Presbyterian Discipline is all about to provide a moral compass that guides behaviour of people in all spheres of national affairs both the youth and old.”

The annual Memorial lecture has been instituted in memory of the late Rev Dr  Nkansa Kyeremateng, a Presbyterian Minister and former Principal of the Kibi College of Education.

Prof E.V.O Dankwa, Chairperson of the School’s governing Council, said on the pillars of discipline and morality, Ghana could transform in development just like Malaysia and others.

He told the students that with discipline and integrity nothing could stand on their way of success and therefore, urged them to be conscious of their behaviour.

The Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, a former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, has observed that the conduct and behaviour of citizens in public service must be a national priority.

That for him would ensure the pursuit of deliberate reforms to address the moral crisis and deficiency, which had eaten deep into the fibre of public service.

“There is so much lack of integrity in the public sector that ‘a what in it for me’ syndrome where people expect some benefits before providing service for which they are paid for is becoming a norm.”

He described that as a dangerous form of corruption and decay, which must be kicked out at all costs to improve on the country’s socio-economic status.

Dr Opuni-Frimpong, a Presbyterian minister and lecturer, said this at Nkansa-Kyeremateng Memorial Lectures at the Kibi Presbyterian College of Education on the theme: “Presbyterian Discipline: A Critical Tool for Reshaping the Youth for Ghana’s Socio-economic Development”.

He said Ghana must make deliberate efforts in shaping the morals of the youth to ensure that morality was not disconnected from all levels of educational pursuits to address the moral deficit.

He explained that a moral vision that emanated from God consciousness and understanding, which determined what to be done right was critical to national development.

The annual Memorial lecture had been instituted in memory of the late Rev Dr  Nkansa Kyeremateng, a Presbyterian Minister and former Principal of the Kibi College of Education.

Prof E.V.O Dankwa, Chairperson of the School’s Governing Council, said on the pillars of discipline and morality, Ghana could transform in development just like Malaysia and others.

He told the students that with discipline and integrity nothing could stand on their way to success and therefore urged them to be conscious of their behaviour.

Rev Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, the former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), has expressed concerns over the escalating levels of greed, corruption, and misappropriation of public funds in both the private and public sectors of Ghana.

He laments that these practices are becoming deeply entrenched in society and are a significant hindrance to the country’s progress and development.

During a memorial lecture for Rev Dr Nkansah Kyeremateng at the Kibi Presbyterian College of Education, Rev Dr Opuni-Frimpong emphasised that public service conduct and behaviour should be a national priority for the socioeconomic development of Ghana.

In line with the theme “Presbyterian Discipline: A Critical Tool For Reshaping The Youth For Ghana’s Socio-Economic Development”, Rev Dr Opuni-Frimpong urged the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to incorporate moral education into the curriculum alongside Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

He aims to nurture a generation of citizens who will contribute positively to the nation rather than causing harm.

“We must pursue STEM with another M- Morality. STEM must have another M…We should not do STEM without morality…I am so proud of our Minister of Education and the wonderful things but if we don’t take morality into our STEM we may be producing intelligent criminals for the next 20, 30, 50 years for our dear nation.

“People who know how to manipulate engineering systems, people who know how to manipulate medicine, pharmacy and all that,” he stated.

The Chief Executive Officer of Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has sent an important message to former President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the build-up to the 2024 election.According to him, the two, who are the front-runners from the two main political parties in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as well as others who want to lead the country, must tread cautiously.Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Tuesday, the former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana said these leaders must publicly commit to “zero tolerance for violence during the 2024 election.”“No one should die because of the election” and stressed that “leadership is service, and we cannot die before you win. Mahama, Bawumia, Alan and the rest who wants to lead us must come out clear on this” he stressed.He expressed concern about the prevalence of electoral violence in Africa but acknowledged that Ghana has done well in avoiding such conflicts.However, Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong underscored for politicians to do more to ensure that Ghana does not lose its title as a country with minimal electoral violence.“The Ghanaian soil must not drink the blood of innocent souls—zero tolerance of electoral death. Violence must be treated plainly; we shouldn’t have to treat political violence with kid gloves because it will come to swallow all of us, including those who created it” he added.

Political leaders in the country must rise up and ensure violence-free elections this year, a former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has said.

He said the country must reverse the disturbing trend of political violence that had accompanied electoral activities over the past years with the opportunity presented by this year’s elections.

“Although the stakes are high in this year’s election, political leaders must ensure that the electoral violence that keeps recurring in our elections must be a thing of the past.

 “People must not die or be maimed because of elections and we must all work as citizens and political leaders to ensure a violence-free election this year,” he said.

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong, who is also a Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, told Graphic Online in an interview that credible and peaceful elections were the collective responsibility of all stakeholders.

“Credible, peaceful election always is a collective responsibility.

We don’t leave the Electoral Commission alone to handle the challenges we are talking about. We don’t leave the security agencies alone,” he said.

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong, a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, called on traditional and religious leaders to demand commitment to peace and accountability from politicians who visit their palaces, churches and mosques for blessings prior to elections.

He also cautioned traditional leaders to uphold their neutrality in accordance with the 1992 Constitution and avoid open endorsements of candidate who call on them. 

Solution

To prevent electoral violence, Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong said there must be a collective responsibility from all stakeholders, including the EC, political parties, civil society organisations, the media, security agencies, the law courts and the youth to ensure justice, peace and fairness during elections.

He called on the National Media Commission to check the media, especially media houses that were partisan in their operations, to make sure they did their work with a sense of objectivity, and not always attack people of opposing political orientation to incite violence.

He urged young people to protect their future and not allow politicians to exploit or use them so they do not become casualties of political violence.

He also appealed to political leaders to be legacy-minded, and make sure their political footprints were good memories that could be emulated by young generations of politicians that might come after them.

He also encouraged religious people to exhibit the faith and moral values taught in the churches, mosques and traditions in the political arena to ensure that political campaigns and elections were conducted peacefully.

The Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has called on the youth to resist being used as tools of violence and intimidation by politicians.

According to him, young people must think about their futures and draw a red line for themselves, refusing to engage in any acts that would endanger their lives or the peace of the country.

Rev Opuni Frimpong, who was speaking in an interview with Etsey Atisu on GhanaWeb’s Election Desk, noted that the youth have a vital role to play in the development of the nation, and should not allow themselves to be manipulated by selfish politicians who only care about their own interests.

“We need young people; a new generation that must think about their future and say I love you but I cannot destroy myself for you to build your own. So, we need young people who will draw red lines for themselves that, ‘Honourable, I’ll follow you, I’ll arrange the chairs for the rally. We are having elections; I will do all the posters and all that. Go to the media and do all the communication.

“’But if you ask me to take a gun, a stick, machete, whatever, to go and kill somebody, your excellency, I’m sorry, I won’t do it because I’m also building my own future. I don’t know what tomorrow will be like,’” he said.

Among other things, Rev Opuni Frimpong added that oftentimes, the young people who engage in electoral violence are motivated to do so by forces within the political space.

“It is not like the young person would wake up in the morning, have breakfast and decide to go and destroy a party office. It doesn’t work that way. There is always a mobilisation effort; it is someone who sits to design the scenario for vandalisation.

“Then they arrange for buses, the materials with which they are going to use to cause the violence, it’s someone’s job. The young person does not have money to buy those things. Beyond the items for the violence, they make food available and sometimes, they are given GH¢50 after that.

“… But there are also young people who have the will and determination to say they are not going to throw themselves at the politicians,” he added.

The Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has called for an end to the horror of electoral violence in Ghana.

According to him, the recorded deaths are not just numbers, but breadwinners of some families.

In an interview with GhanaWeb’s Etsey Atisu, Rev. Dr. Opuni Frimpong said that the nation, together with political parties, faith-based organisations, traditional leaders and all, must be on board to prevent the loss of lives during elections.

He said that the deaths are not statistics, but human beings who have families and dreams.

“This is why it cannot remain a rhetoric. That is why we as a nation, together with political parties, faith-based organisations, traditional leaders and all, must be one board that the deaths we are recording are not just numbers. They will remain a rhetoric if we keep comparing numbers. But they are not numbers, we are talking about breadwinners. We are talking about certain investments that some parents have made and we as a nation must be concerned and move beyond rhetoric and face the reality and say that this horror must end” he stated.

He cited the example of the eight people who died in the 2020 elections, saying that they would not be rhetoric if they had any connection with the people.

He said that it was tragic that some of these parents were killed because of someone’s ambition to become a president or a member of parliament.

“The death of the eight people who died in the 2020 elections would remain a rhetoric if they have no connection with them. But assuming one of the persons who died were to be your father, brother or son, it would be a rhetoric.

“I teach at KNUST and schools have just reopened. The school of medicine fee is about 12,000 an academic year and you are going to pay this six times. Now, with your parents being alive and they are struggling to pay your fees, it’s not been easy for some of them. Yet , you have your case, the father who should have been there to pay the fees, was killed all because someone wanted to become a president or a member of parliament and your father was at the coalition centre and he was shot,” he said.

The Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has cautioned politicians against engaging in actions that result in the killing of voters during elections.

According to him, politicians should have the mindset of serving the people, not destroying them.

Speaking on Accra-based Adom FM, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, who once served as the General Secretary of the Christian Council, questioned the logic of politicians who resort to violence and bloodshed to win elections.

“When you become a Member of Parliament or president, you come in with the intention to serve. Why should your decision to lead and develop us result in the death of people. After killing them, which people will benefit from your development, if they are all dead?” he questioned.

He cited the example of the Techiman incident, where some six voters were killed during the 2020 elections.

He urged politicians to value the lives of the people, and to seek peaceful and democratic means of resolving their differences.

“You went to Techiman for the voters to vote for you into office for which you will develop the place. But the people you intend to develop, died before the development came to them.

“So, what benefit did the party member who died during elections get from your development?” he quizzed.

The Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has raised concerns about politicians using gifts as a manipulative strategy to establish partnerships with religious leaders.

According to him, most of these politicians use the gifts given to religious leaders as a base to form partnerships of convenience for their campaigns or political bids.

Speaking on Joy News on January 22, 2023, Rev. Dr. Opuni Frimpong, who once served as the General Secretary of the Christian Council, noted that politicians view their relationships with traditional and church leaders as strategic investments, aiming to exert control over various segments of society.

He emphasised the importance of religious leaders being aware of the underlying intentions behind such gifts.

Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong warned that what might be perceived as a simple gift could, in reality, be a manipulative strategy to secure a convenient partnership.

“Politicians make investments, and for them it’s not a joke or a game. They want to control everybody, including traditional and church leaders and it’s a strategy our politicians are embarking on. If you are a faith based leader and you miss that, you are in trouble.

“Sometimes, they play the game with gifts. Certain public servants are not supposed to take gifts but traditional leaders, pastors, we are free to take gifts. For you it’s a gift but to some of them, it’s a manipulative strategy, they want partnership for convenience so they come to you often. You have received their gifts therefore you are with them and you are part of them,” he said.

Drawing from his personal experience as the former General Secretary of the Christian Council, Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong shared a strategic approach he employed to maintain transparency in dealings with politicians.

“I have managed the Christian Council for years so I understand how we play the game. My strategy was you come to Christian Council, you drop an envelope, I will call my director of finance to count whatever is brought and a receipt is issued in the name of the council, we add a letter of appreciation. Most of the politicians don’t agree to this approach but I tell them, they came to me as the general secretary and that is how I will handle it. But it is a strategy we must know,” he explained.

Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong also explained the concept of “partnership for convenience,” where he mentioned that politicians would prefer to keep their dealings with faith-based leaders as private and expect them to cover up for them in public.

“What it means is, they prefer that you don’t bring their dirty stuff in public so they insist you have a behind-the-scene engagement and many pastors have fallen into that trap” he added.

The Chief Executive Officer of Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has sent an important message to former President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the build-up to the 2024 election.

According to him, the two, who are the front-runners from the two main political parties in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as well as others who want to lead the country, must tread cautiously.

Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Tuesday, the former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana said these leaders must publicly commit to “zero tolerance for violence during the 2024 election.”

“No one should die because of the election” and stressed that “leadership is service, and we cannot die before you win. Mahama, Bawumia, Alan and the rest who wants to lead us must come out clear on this” he stressed.

He expressed concern about the prevalence of electoral violence in Africa but acknowledged that Ghana has done well in avoiding such conflicts.

However, Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong underscored for politicians to do more to ensure that Ghana does not lose its title as a country with minimal electoral violence.

“The Ghanaian soil must not drink the blood of innocent souls—zero tolerance of electoral death. Violence must be treated plainly; we shouldn’t have to treat political violence with kid gloves because it will come to swallow all of us, including those who created it” he added.

A former General Secretary of the Christian Council, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has asked the public to advance arguments for the taxing of the donations given to political parties before they push for taxes on the offerings received by churches.

According to him, churches already pay taxes on their commercial activities, and that their offerings are voluntary contributions that are not taxable by law.

Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Adom FM, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, noted that people who keep saying that churches should pay taxes are not aware of the fact that churches are not engaging in commercial activities.

He said that if the government and the public want to tax voluntary contributions, they should start with the political parties, who receive huge donations from their supporters and members.

“I am a Presbyterian pastor, at the end of the month, my employer deducts my taxes from the source. By this, before I get my salary, I see all the deductions by way of taxes. Churches with other forms of businesses such as conference centres, guest houses etc, they pay their taxes accurately.

“When people keep saying that churches should pay taxes, we must bear in mind that it is not as though churches engage in commercial activities but those that have some components of commercial businesses, pay their taxes. So, churches pay taxes already,” he said.

He continued: “But I believe that people keep making these arguments because of the offerings we take. Consider this, as a country we do not tax any voluntary contribution. Before you ask churches to pay taxes, any time NPP and NDC meet in their respective party meetings, they should pay taxes on their contributions.”

Rev. Dr Opuni Frimpong added that voluntary contributions are not limited to churches, but also include other groups and bodies, such as old student associations, funeral contributions, among others.

He said that it is unfair to single out churches for taxation, while leaving out other voluntary contributors.

“Currently, Ghana’s laws do not allow for voluntary contributions to be taxed and as a matter of fact, everybody is allowed to take these forms of contributions from people. So, why don’t people ask for contributions from the political parties, old student associations, and funeral contributions to be taxed. Yet they are telling churches to pay taxes,” he noted.

The former general secretary stated that if the government and the public insist on taxing voluntary contributions, they should apply it to all groups and bodies, not just churches.

To him, the government and the public should not engage the church about taxes, unless they have started the conversation from that angle.

“If that is the argument, then all forms of voluntary contributions must be taxed. If that argument is made, then we should remember that you are not only talking about the churches, rather, it covers all groups and bodies. If you’ve not started the conversation from that angle, do not engage the church about taxes,” he stated.

A former General Secretary of the Christian Council, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has stressed on the need to prevent the loss of innocent lives during elections in the country.

He warned against a scenario where the soil of Ghana is often tainted with the blood of citizens during voting periods.

Speaking on a Joy News programme, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong urged the nation to recognise the gravity of such a situation.

“Election is a process of identifying leaders. Leadership is service and therefore, the search for a leader should not end in the death of innocent people to the point that our Ghanaian soil must not drink the blood of innocent people in the name of elections. It seems that realisation has not come to us strongly,” he said.

In the 2020 general elections, Ghana recorded a total of six election related deaths, a development Rev. Dr. Rev Dr Opuni Frimpong describes as worrying.

He pointed out that the country has yet to fully grasp the impact of continued loss of lives on its democratic achievements.

Rev. Dr. Opuni Frimpong also called on stakeholders to work together and achieve a zero tolerance electoral violence and death in the 2024 general election.

He urged unity among political parties, electoral bodies, security forces, and the general public to ensure a peaceful and democratic election process.

“We record the deaths and it’s like it’s nothing but we can’t continue like that and those who are involved, all of us stakeholders must come together and maybe commit to zero tolerance of electoral violence especially electoral death,” he added.