Accra, Mar 19, GNA - The Reverend Sam Korankye-Ankrah, General Overseer of the Royal House Chapel International, has called on President John Agyekum Kufuor and former President Jerry John Rawlings to use the country's Golden Jubilee to forgive each other and reconcile. He said Ghana at 50 presented an opportune time for the two to move away from their entrenched positions and take steps to reconcile themselves and the nation.
Rev. Korankye-Ankrah made the call in his Golden Jubilee message to the nation during a special Ghana at 50 prayer and thanksgiving service organised under the auspices of the Intercessors for Africa and the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture.
He noted that the unwillingness of President Kufuor and former President Rawlings to initiate any reconciliation process, was merely a face saving attitude, in that each of them did not want to be seen as initiating the move, as that would be interpreted as a sign of weakness. Rev. Korankye-Ankrah reminded the two leaders that "to forgive is divine" and that initiating a move towards reconciliation and accepting to be part of the process was an act of forgiveness, which indicated ones willingness to allow for God's intervention.
He noted that out of "un-forgiveness", the former President had in the past made several "boom speeches", which gave the people reason for concern, while the President on his part had also thrown a few "punches" at the former President and his previous government, usually tracing all the woes of the country to that regime.
"How long can our leaders continue to fight among themselves in this manner - it is about time we see the President and the former President and their followers in one Ghana at 50 party celebrating to us that there is hope for this country", he said.
Rev. Korankye-Ankrah stated that the power of reconciliation lied with the Church, which was representative of divine authority on earth, saying, "The Church has a critical role to play in reconciling not just the President and the former President, but the entire nation from its current polarised state".
"The church one of the most prominent places where persons of different political backgrounds come together to lift holy hands to worship, serve in same departs and work closely together in love and in harmony," he said.
He called on Church leaders to use their pulpits to preach national reconciliation and said "Churches should encourage their members to participate in active politics as the only way to ensure that Ghana has leaders who uphold divine principles of forgiveness, reconciliation and true national development".
Rev. Korankye-Ankrah noted that politics was not evil as many had been made to believe, saying that great Bible characters like Moses, David, Daniel, Solomon, Hezekiah and many others were involved in active politics and yet were some of the greatest heroes of righteousness. "We have what it takes to bring reconciliation, unity and development to this nation and we have to take advantage of it as a matter of duty to God and to our fellow man," he said.