Baffour-Awuah

Wamfie (B/A), April 26, GNA- The Right Reverend James Baffour-Awuah, Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese of the Methodist Church of Ghana has said that the well-being of the people is in the hands of the church and the state.

"Let us therefore work together for the common good of the people so that peace and tranquillity would prevail in the society".

Rt. Rev Baffour Awuah was addressing the opening of a four-day 29th synod of the Diocese at the Wesley Chapel at Wamfie, capital of Dormaa East district in the Brong Ahafo region.

The synod is under the theme, "Holy Spirit, the source of Signs, Wonders and Ministry".

The Methodist Bishop acknowledged that the two bodies still enjoyed cordial relationship as seen in the state's provision of infrastructure and the free-feeding programme in "our schools" whilst the church also answered invitations to state functions to give talks and prayers.

He however expressed regret that despite this cordial relationship some state officials like MPs and DCEs and traditional rulers refused to attend official functions of the church like synods and conferences, where major decisions affecting the affairs of members in their constituencies and traditional areas are taken.

Bishop Baffour-Awuah called for the enactment of a law that would help eradicate or minimize some of the immoral behaviours in the Ghanaian society, suggesting a law that would restrain the production of immoral and pornographic films on television and also a ban indecent dressing among the youth.

"These steps will go a long way to buttress what the church is preaching against in society", he added.

Rt. Rev Baffour Awuah expressed the church's appreciation for the efforts of the government to meet the millennium goals by eradicating poverty and unemployment and suggested to the government to expand its training programmes so that the youth not absorbed in the national youth employment programme could be utilized.

"The existing facilities like rural health training centres should be expanded and also should be sited in the rural areas since the bulk of the youth are found in these areas", he said, and called for more teacher training institutions to be opened.

On the 2008 general election, Rt. Rev Baffour-Awuah asked Ghanaians not to repeat the country's history interspersed with political brutalities and atrocities.

"Ghanaians should not repeat these mistakes, which brought about these instabilities and stalled national development", he said, and urged Christians, Muslims, traditionalists and all other religious faiths to remind their members to seek guidance from God.

The Methodist Bishop advised political office aspirants to avoid derogatory remarks and uncompromising stands and to be circumspect in their utterances during their campaigns to ward off any confusion before, during and after the elections.

"These aspirants should focus on the real needs of the people such as the provision of energy, relevant education, affordable health delivery, eradication of poverty, ignorance, diseases, hunger, armed robbery and other forms of violence", Rt. Rev Baffour-Awuah stated.

Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Environment, urged members of the church to help sensitize communities on the need to keep clean surroundings to ensure proper sanitation and good health amongst them.

"Christians are the light of the world and we need to understand and educate others to take care of the environment to be able reap whatever benefits God intended to offer to mankind", he said.