In a recent discussion on JoyNews’ AM Show, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, voiced his concerns over the entrenched nature of corruption in Ghana. He highlighted its prevalence, extending beyond the realm of government to infiltrate various sectors of society. The issue, as per his insights, is not just the corruption itself, but the significant amount of unaccounted funds, inclusive of loans, that pose an unjust burden on future generations.

Call for Integrity and Accountability

Rev. Dr. Frimpong’s core appeal was for integrity and accountability in Ghana’s fight against corruption. He called for a transformation in leadership attitudes, emphasizing the need for leaders who prioritize integrity over personal connections and demonstrate a commitment to take swift action against any forms of misconduct.

Criticizing the protective attitudes among officials that obstruct accountability, he urged a shift in this mindset. According to him, this protective shield among government officials and authorities hinders the fight against corruption, allowing it to continue unchecked.

Grassroots Efforts and Responsible Governance

In his plea for responsible governance, Rev. Dr. Frimpong stressed the importance of not leaving the problems of corruption for future generations to resolve. He argued for the fight against corruption to begin at the grassroots level, emphasizing that every citizen has a role to play. As he succinctly put it, the selection of leaders should be based on their demonstrated integrity and their willingness to dismiss those who disgrace their positions and the nation.

Voicing his dissatisfaction with the current state of the corruption fight in Ghana, Rev. Dr. Frimpong suggested that leaders are not showing enough seriousness in tackling the issue. His call to action for a change in leadership attitudes and a stronger commitment to fighting corruption is a timely reminder of the pressing need for integrity and accountability in governance.

General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev Dr Kwabena Opuni Frimpong says the Electoral Commission (EC) should be more transparent and enhance its public information efforts.

Mr Frimpong believes even though the Commission is making an effort, there is room for improvement.

He emphasized the need to educate people about elections in both urban like Accra and rural areas to boost public confidence in the electoral processes.

“Public education is not only in Accra but also in the rural areas in the north, every part of Ghana, the east, the south, and every corner. Carry the whole nation along; let us not give any impression or grant even space for the politicians in the NPP or NDC to move around and raise red flags for the EC. I know they will do a good job, but we should not only wish for it; we must act for it,” he said on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

“To me, they [EC] want to be sincere and transparent with the nation, and I would never assume that they have the intention to do so. I want to see their actions confirming this.”

Speaking on JoyNews, AM Show, the former General Secretary emphasised that, besides using indelible ink during elections, other identification cards should still allow people to verify their identity.

He compared the EC’s responsibilities to his role in the classroom, highlighting the importance of direct engagement, similar to how he teaches his students face-to-face.

“Some students have to say and repeat and give extra examples before they understand, but you must carry everybody in the class along. For the sharp ones and the low learners, you must carry everyone along. I have been to the meetings, and I understand what they are trying to say.

“As long as I have my grandmother in my village who wants to understand what they are saying, I do not understand. All I am saying is that the NCCE and the Electoral Commission, their educational unit, now have information service plans. We do not know where they are, so we must make sure we carry the ordinary person who has not been to the classroom before, that village person, or a city person who is still asking questions.”

Former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana says that many Ghanaians are not truly committed to fighting corruption.

According to Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, corruption is not limited to government officials but is a problem that affects all sectors of society.

He stated that a significant amount of money has not been accounted for, and some of these funds are in the form of loans that will need to be repaid by future generations.

“We shouldn’t be a nation that creates problems today that our children should come and solve tomorrow,” he said on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

Speaking on the JoyNews‘ AM Show, Rev. Dr. Opuni Frimpong pointed out that government officials and other authorities protect each other, rather than holding each other accountable which is a challenge in the fight against corruption.

According to him, the fight against corruption must begin at the grassroots level which will eradicate corruption in Ghana.

“We need leaders who will say I appointed you, but you have disgraced us, you have disgraced the nation. You don’t qualify to be here. The next morning pack and leave. I don’t think I have that impression as a Ghanaian. Maybe, I’m not seeing right because of the lens I am wearing but Ghana as a nation, as I see it, we are not serious with the corruption fight.”

A former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has raised questions concerning the leadership of the National Cathedral of Ghana, should it be completed.

According to him, in other countries like Nigeria, which has national cathedrals, the church chooses the head of the cathedral, i.e., the bishop, because they constructed the cathedral with their funds with support from the government.

He asked whether the Government of Ghana is going to appoint a bishop of the National Cathedral of Ghana and pay the staff of the cathedral since it is leading its construction, mynewsgh.com reports.

“The Cathedral will have to get its own Bishop. Nigeria has a similar project that is controlled by the Church even though the government supported the building of the facility. The Churches pay the Bishop.

“For ours when the project is done, will the bishop be appointed by the government and be paid with taxpayers’ money or the churches will have to choose the Bishop and pay them?” he is quoted to have asked.

The pastor said that the question of the leadership of the cathedral if it is completed has been asked several times but the government has not given any response.

He added that there are other important questions that the Christian community in Ghana should asked but it did not because of the excitement over the construction of the cathedral.

“At the beginning of the project, we were told the Churches were building the National Cathedral with the support of the government. But now it looks like the project belongs to the government and the churches are supporting it. We need to know if the churches will have control or if they will belong to the government.

“There are a number of pressing questions but because we were overly excited by the project, we did not take time to scrutinize and ask the needed questions. We took it with joy and failed to ask the relevant questions,” he said.

He added that the cathedral project should not be a project of one government because it transcends governments.

A former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has rallied the Christian community in the country to remain united in the face of resignations that have hit the National Cathedral project.

He further admonished the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral to take issues of accountability around the project seriously in order to elicit the support of the public.

“The National Cathedral should not divide the Ghanaian Christian front. It should not push us to a point where church leaders cannot meet, smile and eat together.

“We still need a united Christian front in Ghana,” Dr Frimpong said, cautioning that commentaries around the resignations should not cause any disaffection.

Resignations

Rev. Dr Frimpong, who was commenting on the resignations that recently hit the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral in an interview with the Daily Graphic, pleaded that “the church in Ghana must stay united”.

He said “this storm will be over.

The National Cathedral challenge will be over, but the church must be united”.

A prototype of the National Cathedral

Touching on commentaries on the resignations so far, Rev. Dr Frimpong cautioned that “we must be careful with the comments and reactions that follow the resignations on the Board of Trustees.”

“Let’s be very careful the way we react.

 At least, if for nothing at all, they deserve dignity, honour and respect,” he said of the high-profile personalities who had since left the board.

He said the intention was to build the cathedral to unite Christians and appealed that in spite of the resignations and how they had featured in the public domain, “Christians in Ghana must remain united”.

Rev. Dr Frimpong said all church leaders in the country must be acknowledged and given due recognition, “whether we are able to construct this National Cathedral or not”.

Transcending regimes

The respected clergyman, who said he was looking forward to the inauguration of the National Cathedral one day “to the glory of the Lord”, stressed that even if it never happened under this current government, since it remained a national cathedral, its construction must transcend a particular regime.

“As for this cathedral, I pray and hope that one day, we will come together and see its dedication to the glory of God.

“If not this regime and the next and the next, the most important thing is that one day, we must have a National Cathedral that gives glory to God, not necessarily any particular individual or particular regime,” he said.

While acknowledging the efforts of the North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on issues of accountability surrounding the cathedral project, Rev. Dr Frimpong said the board should tell the public what was really happening.

“It is not enough sometimes for the board to just come out to say (that) what the MP was saying was not true, but there are real issues that need clarification,” he said.

He admitted that even though some aspect of the cathedral project was in court, the Board of Trustees needed to set the record straight, and that “there are things that the board can also help the Ghanaian public to know”.

Rev. Dr Frimpong said while waiting for the outcome of the court case, he expected that the board would get some investigations done.

According to her, the governance in the country has been in crisis for some time now

The former Chief Justice Her Ladyship Justice, Sophia Akuffo has stated that the government has failed in the fight against illegal mining also known as galamsey.

Speaking on Starr Chat with Bola Ray, madam Akuffo stated that the galamsey activities have made Ghana’s water bodies as thick as milo tea.

“The waters are getting ticker and ticker. It used to be like coffee, but now it’s like thick chocolate. It is like the kind of cocoa drink we used to make during our boarding school, about eight spoons of milo. Then you add two drops of milk to it and it is thick.

“Sometimes I watch things on the TV and I ask whether we are thinking about our grandchildren. As for my daughter, I think she is being polluted. She has drunk all the pollution and all that. But her children shouldn’t have to and not her grandchildren no,” Madam Akuffo stated.

According to her, the governance in the country has been in crisis for some time now.

A former General-Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Dr Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has called for a centralised donation system to take stock of all relief items being donated to victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage to ensure efficient and equal distribution of items.

He said by establishing such a system, it would ensure that items that had been pouring in since the opening of the dam that had resulted in the flooding of many homes and businesses across some regions in the country would lead to an equitable distribution of the relief items without “leaving no one behind”

Speaking in an interview, Dr Frimpong said if care was not taken, some of the victims would have more than enough while others would be starving.

“What I mean is that some communities are attracting media attention, but in times like this, you might get a minority group in a small community somewhere that might not attract the same attention. In such cases, they might be forgotten,” he added.

Some of the affected communities are located in the Volta, Oti, Eastern, Savanna, Northern and parts of the Greater Accra regions where hundreds of people have been displaced, and their homes and property destroyed.

Dr Frimpong described the flooding as an “unfortunate development” and appealed to citizens to demonstrate that “we are a caring nation”.

“It is these times that we must let our friends, brothers and sisters in crisis know that we care and that we are there for them,” he said, adding that citizens must rally around the victims to inspire hope in them.

He acknowledged that so far some religious bodies, organisations, companies, groups and individuals have donated various items, including food, but said there was still the need to do more for the victims.

Dr Frimpong further advised against politicisation of the crisis and said: “At this time, certain things can wait, let us not politicise issues but make sure we get our people out of the crisis.

“At the moment, we must focus on the plight of our people, rally around them, demonstrate love, care and support,” he added.

Dr Opuni Frimpong also observed that the manner the spillage of the dam was carried out by the Volta River Authority (VRA) gave the impression that there was not enough consultation before it embarked on the exercise.

“The current crisis does not give the impression of any serious discussions and coordination between and among the VRA, the district assemblies within the catchment areas, security agencies, education managers and other stakeholders before the authority opened the dam,” he said.

Dr Frimpong, therefore, called for an acceptance of responsibility.

“You are paid to take certain responsibilities and, therefore, you must accept responsibility if your work is not properly done,” he said.

A former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Reverend Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has expressed concerns about the continuation and waning enthusiasm for the National Cathedral project.

Following the resignation of Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and Rev. Eastwood Anaba from the Board of Trustees overseeing the construction of the National Cathedral, Rev. Opuni-Frimpong said the initial fervour surrounding the project has dwindled significantly.

In an interview with Selorm Adonoo on Eyewitness News, Rev. Opuni-Frimpong explained that the initial intention behind the project was for it to be spearheaded and constructed by the church. However, over time, it became apparent that the government was taking on a more prominent role in the project.

“I was in the Office as General Secretary at the very beginning of the National Cathedral. At the time, the former presiding bishop of the Methodist Church, Reverend Samuel Asante Antwi, was the chairman of the Board of the National Cathedral. He explained to us that we, the churches in Ghana, were going to build the Cathedral, not the government. The government was only going to facilitate the process and provide seed money. We were happy about this idea.” “We thought we were having an opportunity to work together as Christians to achieve something,” Rev. Opuni-Frimpong continued. “However, when Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa started a series of disclosures, it became very clear that it was the government that was building the Cathedral.”

Rev. Opuni-Frimpong expressed concern that the government’s involvement in the project has diminished the sense of ownership and enthusiasm among Christians in Ghana. He urged the government to allow the churches to take a leading role in the project.

“My plea is that the government must allow the churches to build the Cathedral. We should not offer to God a Cathedral that cost us nothing.”

Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams and Rev. Eastwood Anaba, announced their resignation in a letter to the president, dated October 12, 2023, over concerns that their call for an audit into the activities of the National Cathedral project, went unheeded since January 2023. citinewsroom.com&dtd=112 But in a sharp rebuttal, National Cathedral Secretariat described the claim that no information whatsoever on the audit process was conveyed to them, as false.

In a statement, the Executive Director of the National Cathedral Project, Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah narrated that “following this, the engagement letter for Deloitte to officially begin the audit was drafted and signed by Deloitte on March 27, 2023, and set up on their system on May 17, 2023. The expectation was that the first part of the audit was to be completed in July 2023. The audit process, so far, can be confirmed with the auditors, Deloitte.”

“The Board was constantly updated on the process through the Chairman and the Steering Committee, as well as the Executive Director’s reports to the meetings of the Board.”

“Although Archbishop Duncan Williams and Rev. Eastwood Anaba were not present at both the June 2023 and September 2023 meetings, they and all the other Board members who were not physically present at the meeting were sent copies of all the documents for the Board meeting, including the Executive Director’s report. The claim that they have received no information, whatsoever, on the audit process is therefore false.”

Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, a former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, has called for accountability regarding the extent of devastation caused by the controlled water spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams, emphasizing that those responsible for the spillage must be held accountable.

The Volta River Authority (VRA) initiated the controlled water spillage on September 15, 2023, in response to a continuous rise in the inflow pattern and water level of the Akosombo reservoir.

This action led to the submersion of thousands of homes in various areas, including South Tongu, North Tongu, Central Tongu, and Asuogyaman.

Rev. Dr. Opuni Frimpong, in an interview with Citi News, stressed the need to identify the consultants responsible for conducting feasibility studies and assessment of the expected impacts of the spillage.

“We need to find out who were the consultants who did the feasibility studies and which impacts were they expecting for this spillage,” he stated.

He emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for the consequences that people in parts of Ghana are currently facing, stating, “We need to let people take responsibility for their actions. We cannot let this pass.”

A former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong is cautioning political parties to desist from politicizing the plight of persons affected by the spillage of the Akosombo Dam.

Over 26,000 people have been affected by the spillage of the dam, which began last month.

Dozens of people have been relocated to safe havens with their affected constituencies.

Speaking to Citi News, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong called on all Ghanaians to support the affected residents.

“Something must quickly be done. Our friends in parts of the Volta and Oti Regions are going through a crisis. We are one nation. We plead with our politicians not to politicise what people are going through. People need help. This is a genuine need. I know some of you have started mobilising for people to contribute. Any Ghanaian that can be of help must be there. My own church Presbyterian Church of Ghana is moving to help. Let’s all move to help, so our friends in need know that they are loved, they belong and Ghana is a nation that cares.”

Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong added that persons consulted prior to the spillage must be made to answer for the extent of the devastation.

Rev. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, a former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, has levelled accusations against Ghanaian politicians, indicating that they are taking advantage of corruption to benefit from the nation.

In a news report by Accra-based myjoyonline.com, he argued that politicians, both from past and present administrations, have failed to demonstrate a genuine commitment to combating corruption.

According to Rev. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, this lack of seriousness stems from the fact that politicians are capitalising on corruption for their own gains.

“They are all benefiting from it. Now going into politics has become business. They are all milking the nation. Therefore, if I found the government official just doing this when I heard it in the room. It sounds like a cliché,” he said.

The comments by Rev. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong came at the time the Senior Advisor to the president, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, called on Christians to take a lead in the battle against corruption.

Yaw Osafo-Maafo questioned the quality of the moral impact of the church, as 70 per cent of Ghanaians profess to be Christians.

However, reacting to this, Rev Opuni-Frimpong described the call by the senior advisor as a ‘political sound bite’.

“Past and present governments have not proved to anybody that they are serious with the corruption fight. They have just made the corruption fight a political sound bite,” he noted.

Criticising the rationale behind Osafo-Maafo’s call on Christians to fight corruption, Rev. Opuni-Frimpong questioned why the government demands evidence only when its own appointees are accused of corruption.

“I was expecting what he said should come from a Pastor, even if they clap for him. Going back, he must ask himself what exactly he was telling us. Is fighting corruption a church business? What are we hearing from Parliament? The kind of things from Ministries and all that they go to Parliament for on the Auditor General’s Report.

“You expect Pastors and Bishops to do what? How many people (accused of corruption) even from the government’s own side even those that people have brought up, what have we heard? Bring evidence. Is that not what the pattern has been over the years?” Rev. Opuni-Frimpong stated.

He continued: “You leave all your cabinet meetings only to go and stand before innocent church people and ask them you are 72 per cent what? You are in government, you are on the cabinet, you advise the President and the question of why should come to him. Not to Pastors, not church members. So, to me what I heard in the room is a political soundbite.”

The Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, has urged staff of the Judicial Service to see themselves as Ambassadors of the Service and the concept of ‘justice’ itself.

She said the Judicial Service is a Public Service and members must therefore be honest, fair and transparent in their dealings with the citizens who seek justice.

Justice Torkornoo, was speaking at a Community Sensitization Programme, held alongside the inauguration of some Courts in five Communities.

It was an interactive session with members of the beneficiary communities including Baatsonaa, Kwabenya and Ada in the Greater Accra Region, and New Abirem and Akwatia, in the Eastern Region.

At Baatsona, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, explained the work of the Judiciary and how court users can help keep Staff on their toes

The message was similar at Kwabenya, where the Chief Justice answered questions on justice delivery.

At New Abirem in the Eastern Region, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, said, it is her goal, to rid the Judicial Service of acts by staff which put the integrity and work of the Service into disrepute.

At Akwatia, the Chief Justice encouraged staff of the judicial service to make the Courts friendly to litigants.

The Chief Justice’s Community Sensitization program, is on the theme” Improving Justice Delivery through Community Engagement.

The initiative is to educate the public on the existence of the Public Complaints Unit among other interventions by the Service, to make justice delivery transparent.

Rev. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy and former General Secretary for the Christian Council of Ghana (ACAA), has called on the leaders of the country to pay critical attention to Ghana’s educational system in order to raise competent future leaders and avoid kakistocracy.

According to the Presbyterian minister, “Education without moral and spiritual values always produces intelligent criminals, and no matter how plentiful they are in the system, we cannot build a nation with them.”

Rev. Opuni Frimpong made this statement yesterday during his presentation on the topic: “Patriotism and National Development” at the National Development Conference 2023 (NADEC’23) held at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.

During his presentation, Rev. Opuni Frimpong expressed concern about the moral decadence in Ghanaian society, especially in the conduct of students on various campuses, saying that education, particularly Christian education, must produce faithful disciples and good citizens in order to transform the world.

He cited various incidents that had gone viral to highlight the declining morality rate in schools and emphasised that leaders must not look unconcerned.

Rev. Opuni Frimpong partly attributed this growing concern to the two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who have been steering the affairs of the nation for most of the 4th republic and called for a paradigm shift for national development.

He stated that the absence of a strong sense of morality and ethical values in the public space has also resulted in a kakistocracy, where the least competent persons are placed in leadership positions.

“There are too many ‘kakis’ in our political discourse. Unfortunately, the two major political parties in the country are the same and need to be nurtured,” he remarked.

Quoting Proverbs 13:22, he advised national leaders to rise to the task of leadership by leaving behind a great legacy for future generations and not creating problems for posterity to solve.

“It is only wicked people who create problems for their children to solve tomorrow,” he said.

PENTECOST NEWS.