• The Christian Council of Ghana has commended the Speaker of Parliament for being morally strong in his decision to help develop the nation

• Rt. Rev. Prof. Mante stressed the importance of religious tolerance in the country

• He stressed the need for the Church and the government to work as partners in the development of the country

The Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Prof. J.O.Y. Mante, has commended the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for his strong moral stance on issues of national concern.

He also applauded the Speaker for his generous philanthropic activities over the years.

He said those qualities were enough assurance that he will provide the needed leadership to steer the ship of the Ghanaian legislature.

Rt. Rev. Prof. Mante said this when he led a delegation of the Christian Council of Ghana and representatives of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference to pay a courtesy call to Speaker Bagbin in Parliament on May 28.

The eminent clergymen were in Parliament to congratulate Speaker Bagbin on his election to the high office of Speakership and also engage him on a number of critical issues affecting the country, particularly, the recent religious debates generated and the current status of legislative deliberation and advocacy against LGBTQI+ and its related activities in the country.

The Christian Council of Ghana Chairman further stressed the importance of religious tolerance and the need for the different faiths in the country to co-exist peacefully.

"We were alarmed at the debate going on in the public space about religious tolerance. We are all here for peace,” he said.

For his part, the Speaker of Parliament expressed gratitude to the Christian Council and the Church for their role in ensuring harmony in the country.

He stressed the need for the Church and the Government to work as partners in the development of the country.

“There is a lot we can do to refine our governance system to take on board traditional and cultural values and norms. There is no state without the Church and there is a lot the two can efficiently do together,” Speaker Bagbin said.

On the issue of LGBTQI+, the Speaker said he is a firm advocate for pro-life and for him, anything against the life he would be ready to fight with his life.

He added that he was aware of the current challenges in the country’s legal system.

He promised to involve the Church and civil society to fine-tune it and make it more definitive to serve the greater good.