Rev Dr Kwabena Opuni- Frimpong (Strengthening our Christian Advocacy during Elections)

Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, has urged Ghanaians to appreciate the roles played by every political party in the country’s development.

“The Development of Ghana has largely been championed by different political regimes and each of them has played a part, therefore one political party cannot claim the credits,” he said in an interview with the GNA.

He said to maintain peace and tranquillity, political leaders must be circumspect in their utterances and stop the discourse of denigrating each other.

Particularly, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have all played a role in Ghana’s development and so the leaders and party communicators of both groups should stop creating the impression that all credits belong to them alone.

“ The responsibility of creating a balance on our political front for peaceful coexistence lies on the leadership of the political parties because their followers and supporters only echo what they say,” he said.

Reverend Opuni-Frimpong, who is a leader of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa (ACAA), said there must be trust in Ghana’s political discourse so together “as a people we can chart a course that would propel our development to a safe destination”.

He expressed optimism that as God ushered us to the new year, both political parties would show mutual respect to deepen our political discourse for better outcomes.

“Politics of respect and trust to pull the people along the developmental agenda is what we hope for in 2023 and beyond,“ he added.

Credit: GNA

The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Bishop Matthew Gyamfi, has refuted contents of an investigative piece conducted by the CNN.

According to them, the international media outlet did not reach out to them on the issue contrary to what was suggested in its report.

In the report, the American channel stated, among other things, that some Ghanaian churches received foreign aid and funding from donor United States, United Kingdom and European donors who support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQ+) activities.

These churches, according to the report, despite their strong support for the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in parliament, benefitted from funding from intergovernmental organisations that support LGBTQ rights and activities for developmental purposes.

CNN’s findings cited Churches and Christian institutions, including the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), Evangelical Presbyterian Church (CCG member), Methodist Church (CCG member), Presbyterian Church (CCG member), and the Catholic Church, as having received not less than $5.1 million of monies from donors for development projects by or for the church.

The CNN also stated that before it aired its report, it had contacted the churches but failed to get any responses from them.

But in a response, Bishop Matthew Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference told GhanaWeb in a phone interview that they had not been contacted on any such thing.

“I was not contacted; we were not contacted,” he stated.

He also explained that the stance of the church has remained as it is: it is not in support of LGBTQ+ rights.

He added that if the donations they receive from such countries, as stated in the CNN reported, were with the assumption that they (the churches) would support campaigns for same sex rights, then they need to revisit their notes.

“We will not accept any monies from LGBTQ or those who are proposing those things, or we accept it to promote their views, no. we have our views, we have our stance on certain issues and you can’t buy it.

“If they gave it on the assumption that they can change the church’s stance on LGBTQ, then they were making a very big mistake and they should have done their work very well. But I don’t think LGBTQ group anywhere has given anything to any church in Ghana; I don’t know, but certainly not the Catholic Church,” he said.

 Accra, Dec. 10, GNA – Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, leader of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa (ACAA), has called on churches to strengthen their welfare system to respond to the prevailing economic situation. 

 The prevailing economic situation has aggravated the living conditions of many church members and the Church must have an approach to respond in a manner that will cushion members particularly, those who are finding it difficult to make ends meet or purchase their prescribed drugs.” 

 The mounting inflationary pressures have affected prices of everything including medicines and those on Blood Pressure (BP) and Diabetes control medications are finding it difficult to buy,” he observed. 

 Speaking in an interview with the GNA on Ghana’s economic situation, he disclosed that people taking Blood Pressure medications and other medications were skipping some of the days to make up for the increment in prices, adding, “that may be dangerous to their health if not checked.” 

“There are indications that instead of taking the medications daily as prescribed, some are taking it every other day, all because the quantity, which they can afford, has reduced with the same amount of money they used to purchase. 

“It is important that in situations like what we find ourselves as a nation resulting in several policy measures, the Church, which must be a haven in times of distress, activates its welfare and support system to make life easier for its members. 

The current economic situation cannot be overlooked by the Church and expressed the hope that Churches would rise to the call and save members from untoward situations. 

Rev. Opuni-Frimpong, former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana and. Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana reiterated that the Church remained the hope in difficult situations like the current economic crisis. 

Whiles admitting that it would not be an easy task for the church, he was optimistic that once the welfare approach is enhanced for such benefits it can be done. 

Credit: Bertha Badu-Agyei – GNA 

The former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana has berated CNN for its report that suggested that the council and Churches in Ghana have been fighting against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQ+) activities while receiving funds from donor agencies that support these activities.

According to Rev Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, the report by CNN was not accurate. He said that CNN should have spoken to the Christian Council and the churches cited in their investigative report to get their side of the story.

In an interview with GhanaWeb on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, Rev Opuni-Frimpong said that before any donor organisation supports the activities of the Christian Council and Churches in Ghana, they (the donor) scrutinise the proposal of these entities.

He added that most of the funds received are for targeted social interventions, including refugee and health issues and the issue about the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana has never been an issue.

“CNN is a world internationally respected media house, we have known then for that, but on this particular subject, the lady who reported the story has not been fair to Ghanaians Churches. Because even though, she spoke to people, from the video, she did not talk to any church leader on the subject of benefiting from LGBT funds.

“I have been the General Secretary of the Christian Council for five years (2013 to 2018) and we work with both governmental and non-governmental agencies including UNAID, DANIDA, European Union, several of them and their monies are not necessarily for Church people.

“They (the donor agencies) fund your projects that they are interested in. Some of them (the projects) are for all refugees in Ghana, others involve issues of houses, HIV/AIDs, (and) elections. And so, when we want to do any of such social interventions, we send proposals to agencies, governmental and non-governmental. If there are interested in the proposal either they accept it or their review it and then they set up an arrangement for us to implement it,” he told GhanaWeb.

Rev Opuni-Frimpong said that CNN could have called on the religious organisations cited in the report to view some of the proposals they send to these donor organisations to ascertain whether the stance of the Churches in Ghana on LBGT activities has been an issue.

He reiterated that the monies the donor agencies give to Churches are for specific purposes and the churches ensure that they are used for their intended purposes, thus the Churches cannot be accused of any wrong doing because the promotion of gay activities in Ghana has never been a precondition.

The former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana urged the internationally acclaimed media house to engage churches in Ghana to listen to their side of the story.

Background

An exclusive investigation conducted by CNN has cited some Ghanaian churches as having received foreign aid and funding from United States, United Kingdom and European donors who support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQ+) activities.

These churches, according to the report, despite their strong support for the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in parliament, have benefitted from funding from intergovernmental organisations that support LGBTQ rights and activities for developmental purposes.

CNN’s findings cited Churches and Christian institutions, including the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), Evangelical Presbyterian Church (CCG member), Methodist Church (CCG member), Presbyterian Church (CCG member), and the Catholic Church, as having received not less than $5.1 million of monies from donors for development projects by or for the church.

Below are some of the donations as listed by CNN’s report:

1. Citing the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) for instance, the CNN report said that more than $140,000 of taxpayers’ monies from the UK [which is a co-chair of the international Equal Rights Coalition, an intergovernmental organization that protects LGBTQI+ community members worldwide] was donated to the council between the period of 2018-2020.

2. CNN’s analysis also found that some other members of the Equal Rights Coalition — the US, Germany, and Italy — funded projects by or for some of these churches in Ghana that have opposed LGBTQI+ rights “before, during, and after they benefited from aid money”.

3. In 2018 also, £100,000 (about $130,000) of the UK taxpayers’ money went to the Christian Council with a stated goal of fighting corruption in schools, the report further stated.

4. The report also noted that the US federal government sent more than $13,000 to the Christian Council in January 2020, for a project to provide shelters to refugees at Krisan Camp in southwestern Ghana.

5. 208,000 euros (about $245,000) of German aid money went to the Christian Council between 2014 and 2018, via an intermediary called Brot für die Welt.

6. German as well as Italian aid also went to development projects run by or benefiting some individual Christian Council Ghana member churches including projects of Ghana’s Methodist, Evangelical Presbyterian, and Presbyterian churches who received at least $670,000 from these countries via intermediary religious NGOs between 2016 and 2020.

7. Germany, Italy, and the US have also funded projects by or benefiting the Ghanaian Catholic Church. German Catholic intermediary NGO, Misereor, disclosed spending 2.8 million euros ($3.1 million) of German taxpayers’ money on projects by the Catholic Church’s partner organizations in Ghana between 2016 and 2020. This included $127,000 that was spent on a project with a broad goal of strengthening strategy and management standards for the churches’ development work.

8. Despite pledges to protect the rights of sexual and gender minorities, US and European donors spent at least $5.1 million of taxpayers’ money on projects run by or benefiting Ghanaian religious organizations whose leaders have campaigned against LGBTQI+ rights.

9. Aid benefiting Ghana’s Catholic Church also included $850,000 from the US. Between 2019 and 2020 this money went to Ghanaian and US contractors for a project whose goal was to transition several dioceses of the Church to solar power.

Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana

A former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong is calling for an intellectual dialogue among stakeholders to solve Ghana’s economic woes.

He suggested that the Nana Addo-led government must at least organise a forum to help think thanks share fresh ideas in the government’s quest to solve the current economic challenges.

“We need the Royal Senchi again,” Rev Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong said in an interview with NEAT FM’s morning show, ‘Ghana Montie’ after proposing it at the 10th Anniversary celebration of the God’s Love Presbyterian Church at Satellite, Kutunse in the Greater Accra region on Sunday, December 4, 2022 in an interview after delivering a sermon.

Adding that, “there must be a platform for an objective national conversation on how we can solve the economic issues”.

Former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong has asked President Akufo-Addo to use the Senchi Consensus approach used by former President John Dramani Mahama when the country was struck by ‘dumsor’ to turn around the current economic problems facing the country.

He spoke in an interview after delivering a sermon at the 10th Anniversary celebration of the God’s Love Presbyterian Church at Satellite, Kutunse in the Greater Accra region on Sunday, December 4, 2022.

Former General Secretary for the Christian council, Rev Opuni Frimpong, has urged Christian bodies to support the needy in society amidst the current economic crisis.

The man of God admonished that, the welfare body of the various churches should support life-saving individuals who are at the verge of losing their lives due to certain circumstances.

Citing the COVID-19 period as an example, Rev Opuni said that during those difficult times, Christians were supporting the needy people in society, with relief items. He believes this needs to be replicated in a difficult period like this.

“The churches are the ones that receive offerings and tithe payments from people during prosperous times. And we also plan our welfare, the churches should go back to the drawing board to consider how to support others in need.

“Since we already have welfare, we should apply the COVID approach to help people in need, because during times like this, people are unable to even buy their medications. This is more than COVID, when the church shared relief items to individuals,” Rev. Opuni said during an interview on Okay FM’s Adea Kye Bia morning show.

Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana

In an interview with UTV, former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong has said the current economic crises is not like the COVID situation but could be more than the pandemic.

Speaking at the 10th Anniversary celebration of the God’s Love Presbyterian Church at Satellite-Kutunse in the Greater Accra region on Sunday, December 4, 2022, he said the church need to do more to support its ‘sick’ members in the current economic situation.

According to him the current economic crises is not like the COVID situation but could be more than the deadly pandemic.

He said people with chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes and on drugs are unable to afford their medications due to the high cost of these prescriptions.

“Some of these drugs have jumped from GHc 200 to GHc 400 and GHc 100 to GHc200 per month and there is no help coming from anywhere . . . if the church do not come in early they can’t buy them . . .” he told UTV.

He pleaded with the church and religious leaders to increase their budget and strengthen their welfare systems to help congregants in dire need to buy their prescribed drugs.

“Otherwise, by the time we get out of this crisis, most of our members if not dead would be heavily saddled with high sugar levels and BP,” he said.

He said the economic situation as even admitted by the President is very challenging and the onus lies on the church to assist.

“We have to ask ourselves as a church what we can do to support our members in these difficult times,” he said.

God’s Love Presby 10th Anniversary

10th Anniversary celebration of the church was on the theme; “Celebrating a Decade of Manifesting God’s Love to all people (John 15:12)”.

The God’s Love Presby Church since the launch of its anniversary committes on 7th November, 2021, has undertaken various activities in a year long program which was climaxed today, December 4, 2022.

Some of the activities included: Business Seminar on the 7th January, 2022, a visit on the 8th January, 2022 to the Rhema Orphanage and Rehabilitation Center, championed by the Young People’s Guild (YPG) with sports activities and special donation of various items by the church. Also the YPG organized a vocational training on the said date for the children in handy-crafts.

The church also visited the Dzorwulu Special School on 5th February, 2022 to make presentations of various items.

The Pulpit Ministry for Children’s Service, Evangelism Float, Bible Quiz, Basel Day, Flash Sales and Food Bazaar. Health Screening was organized at the Gatsikope Park by the Congregation in partnership with the M&D Medical Centre.

All of these was to acknowledge God’s Love for humanity.

Present at the celebration was the Chief of Kade and Chairman for the Thanksgiving service, Nana Osabarima Agyare Tenadu II, Member of Parliament(MP) for Amasaman Constituency, Hon. Akwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensa, Chief of Kutunse, Nii Noi among other dignitaries.

Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana

Former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong has asked President Akufo-Addo to use the Senchi Consensus approach used by former President John Dramani Mahama when the country was struck by ‘dumsor’ to turn around the current economic problems facing the country.

He spoke in an interview after delivering a sermon at the 10th Anniversary celebration of the God’s Love Presbyterian Church at Satellite, Kutunse in the Greater Accra region on Sunday, December 4, 2022.

“When you are in abnormal times you don’t apply the normal principles. . . ever since the President said we are in crises, we are not getting the approach that we are in crises.”

“If the President admits that we are in crises, we want to see that . . . now our confidence level is low.

“We have reached a point where we are calling for collective responsiblity, approaches towards a crises,” he said.

According to him former President Mahama invited opinion and religious leaders to a 3 day consensus meeting to profer solutions to the power problems among others in 2014 then which yielded results.

“. . with where we have reached now it is not about the NPP is in power, it won’t help, let us listen to every Ghanaian, the crises affects everbody and not only NPP members . . . people are really suffering,” he told UTV in an interview.

“We need a more visible approaches calling for collective response, and humbly I want to say we are not seeing that,” he said.

He said the President should listen to the masses and stop the situation whereby the party in power feels it is the only one that can solve the current economic situation.

“Senchi consensus approach was good, if the current government would use it during this difficult times it would be to the benefit of all of us . . .”

The 10th Anniversary celebration of the church was on the theme; “Celebrating a Decade of Manifesting God’s Love to all people (John 15:12)”.

National Economic Forum: The Senchi Consensus

From May 12 – 15, 2014, 140 Ghanaians drawn from organized labour, Ghanaian private sector, professional associations, financial institutions, security services, traditional leaders, political parties, parliamentarians, the clergy, policy think tanks, academia, civil society, and government ministries met in Senchi in the spirit of our shared interest and commitments for Building a National Consensus for Economic and Social Transformation as well as our collective pursuit of inclusive and sustainable development.

God’s Love 10th Anniversary

The God’s Love Presby Church since the launch of its anniversary committes on 7th November, 2021, has undertaken various activities in a year long program which was climaxed today, December 4, 2022.

Some of the activities included: Business Seminar on the 7th January, 2022, a visit on the 8th January, 2022 to the Rhema Orphanage and Rehabilitation Center, championed by the Young People’s Guild (YPG) with sports activities and special donation of various items by the church. Also the YPG organized a vocational training on the said date for the children in handy-crafts.

The church also visited the Dzorwulu Special School on 5th February, 2022 to make presentations of various items.

The Pulpit Ministry for Children’s Service, Evangelism Float, Bible Quiz, Basel Day, Flash Sales and Food Bazaar. Health Screening was organized at the Gatsikope Park by the Congregation in partnership with the M&D Medical Centre.

All of these was to acknowledge God’s Love for humanity.

Present at the celebration was the Chief of Kade and Chairman for the Thanksgiving Service, Nana Osabarima Agyare Tenadu II, Member of Parliament (MP) for Amasaman Constituency, Hon. Akwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensa, Chief of Kutunse, Nii Noi among other dignitaries.

The former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has proposed a strategic partnership between religious leaders and traditional rulers to promote peace, unity and progress of the country. 

He stressed that such development partnership had become imperative in view of the influential role the two bodies wield in society.

He called for a review of the Constitution to empower traditional rulers to play a vital role in the governance of the nation.

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong made the pronouncement at a breakfast meeting held by the West Akyem Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) for religious leaders and traditional rulers at Akyem Oda.

The participants were drawn from the Akyemansa, Birim South, Akyem Achiase, Asene-Manso-Akroso districts and Birim Central Municipality in the Eastern Region.

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong urged the government to allocate a special development fund for traditional rulers to initiate projects in their areas of jurisdiction.

He enjoined traditional rulers to make their palaces centres of worship to pull the youth especially from crime.

Chieftaincy dispute

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong urged Ghanaians to come to terms with the leadership role played by traditional rulers to complement government’s efforts in nation building.

He expressed concern about the protracted chieftaincy dispute in the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area, which had created factions among the people, with concerns that it had retarded the progress of the area.

Rev. Dr Opuni-Frimpong appealed to religious leaders in the area to team up with the relevant authorities to settle the dispute.

He enjoined traditional rulers in the area to release lands on liberal terms for the establishment of educational and health institutions, and for avenues of employment for the youth.

Exemplary lifestyles

The Chief of Adumasa in the Asuogyaman District, Nana Ansah Kwao IV, admonished religious leaders and traditional rulers to eschew social vices, and to lead exemplary lifestyles to sustain the confidence of their members and subjects.

He also urged them to be fair, firm and transparent in the discharge of their duties.

The Chief Executive of the Birim Central Municipal Assembly, Victoria Adu, condemned the use of social media by a section of the youth to insult national and community leaders with impunity.

The MP for Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, like Ms Adu, noted with concern the socio-economic problems the protracted Akyem Kotoku chieftaincy dispute had created, and called for collaboration from influential religious leaders and traditional rulers to settle the dispute.

The Krontihene of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area, Obrempong Gyamfi Saforo Kyereh, expressed gratitude to the church for holding the forum, and appealed that it should be made a regular feature.

He condemned the pollution of water bodies and destruction of the environment by illegal miners, and urged the government to empower traditional rulers to check the social menace

A healthy partnership among religious, traditional and political institutions in Ghana is critical for good governance and national development

The three institutions are the most recognised, visible and trusted leadership domains, whose healthy partnership must be explored to enhance good governance in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa (ACAA), explained that “the key institutions mentioned have a common goal to pursue the common good and wellbeing of the people they lead directly or indirectly.”

He was delivering a public lecture on the theme: “Creating a Prosperous Society: The Role of Tradition, Politics and Religion” at the Zimmerman Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Krobo Odumasi, as part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Dangme-Tongu Presbytery of PCG.

Dr Opuni-Frimpong, a former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, observed that creating an enabling environment as a catalyst for prosperity was a responsibility and obligation, which cuts across the leaders of these key institutions and could be achieved through a strong partnership.

He cautioned that we must not create problems today for our children to solve tomorrow. Good people leave an inheritance for their children’s children.

“Religious, political and traditional leaders have the equal responsibility to create an enabling atmosphere to propel the welfare and well-being of their people and none, therefore, supersedes the other in the pursuit of creating a Prosperous and peaceful society,” the cleric said.

According to Rev Opuni-Frimpong, democracy and good governance must create wealth for all the people and not those with political affiliations.

He cited for instance that apart from spiritual well-being the Church must be there for the totality of human development hence the provision of schools and other developmental projects and the same is expected from political and traditional institutions as well.

He noted that a healthy partnership between these key institutions is a strategic advantage that must be exploited for leadership of integrity for the common good of society.

The Dangme-Tongu Presbytery, which was carved out from the Ga Presbytery fifty (50) years ago, is determined to pursue a holistic ministry according to Rev Abraham Djaba Okai the Chairperson of the Presbytery.

The public lecture brought together traditional leaders, pastors, church leaders, and politicians including the Member of Parliament of Upper Manya Krobo Constituency, Mr Bismark Tetteh Nyarko as the Special Guest of Honour.

Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa has called on churches to pay attention to palaces in their areas of operation.

“The palace is not beyond redemption and just as other institutions have become centres of Christian worship for conversion and transformation, the chieftaincy institution must also not be left out,” the Rev Dr Opuni Frimpong said.

According to the cleric, chieftaincy is a form of leadership institution and different from traditional worship.

“Therefore, the Church must close that gap of being far away from the palace to ensure that such a key institution is not left behind, to strengthen their Christian faith,” Rev Dr Opuni-Frimpong said, adding, “traditional leaders also have souls.”

Rev Dr Opuni-Frimpong who is a Presbyterian Minister made the call at a breakfast meeting with traditional authorities at Oda, organized by the West Akyem Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) as part of the church’s mission to the palace programme.

He observed that efforts made in other institutions to satisfy the spiritual needs of people such as the Educational, Health, Police, Military, Prisons institutions and through provision of chapels and chaplaincy must be replicated in the palaces.

“It should not be too much for churches to establish chapels within palaces, that way the gap between the church and traditional institutions would be bridged and ensure that chiefs and queens are not separated from Christianity.

He recalled that traditional leaders had played significant roles in the early missionaries’ work and in the Christian growth in Ghana “and therefore it can be the case that when someone is a traditional leader, he can’t be a Christian nor take part in active church activities”.

“The churches must assist Christian royals to provide leadership to their people and also remain Christians” he added

Rev Opuni-Frimpong is of the view that people must not feel disconnected from the church or Christianity by the simple fact that they are royals or traditional leaders.

Abokobi, a Ga community in Greater Accra, is a very good example of traditional leadership and Christianity where the chief of Abokobi is installed in the Presbyterian Church and in fact, happens to be a presbyter.

CEO of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy, Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong has stated that the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda is increasingly becoming a failed vision.

According to the former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda is nothing serious apart from being just a political talk intended to attract attention publicly.

Speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Ekwaso Brebre’ late afternoon show Tuesday, the outspoken religious leader said he saw the Ghana Beyond Aid as a dream that could drive this country into its intended purposes, but according to him, the vision has not improve any services but a gimmick.

The revered man of God could not fathom why Ghana still depend on other nations including neighbouring African countries for everything and even farm produce.

“What’s unique about Dubai? they live on a desert yet Dubai has become the trading hub for Ghanaian traders. What’s unique about Switzerland that makes everyone including African leaders go there to deposit monies in Switz banks? What is unique in Israel? What is unique in Burkina Faso that’s making Ghana import tomatoes and unions from a country that lives on a grassland? This is where we’ve gotten to as a nation.

“Why are we living our lives based on everything from the outside world? We are not proud of ourselves. This is why I was so excited when I heard about the Ghana Beyond Aid vision. I was really happy but that thing is becoming a political sound bite,” said Dr. Opuni.

He, however, suggested if only our leaders will revitalize the Ghana Beyond Aid program, Ghana would become a self-dependent nation with its citizenry having access to everything.

Ghana Beyond Aid is the vision of H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to build a Ghana where everyone has access to education, training, and productive employment; where no one goes hungry and everyone has access to the necessities of life including good health care, water, sanitation, and decent housing in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Source: Ghanaguardian.com