Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has passionately appealed to Ghanaians to play leading roles to ensure that this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections are free, fair and peaceful.

According to him, the 2012 elections, which winner was eventually decided in the Supreme Court, brought about undue tension and fear in the country, stressing the need for the citizenry to guard against complacency as another national election gradually draws closer.

The ex-president charged Ghanaians, especially the major stakeholders in the elections, to do a thorough job so that unnecessary tension that usually occurred in the country during electioneering periods will be avoided this year.

Mr. Kufuor threw this challenge as the distinguished guest of honour on the Divine Prayer Line (DPL) at Springfield, Virginia, US on Monday, July 4, 2016.

The prayer line offers a common platform for Ghanaians in the US to seek divine help and direction.

The former president was particularly called into the programme via telephone so that he could share with Ghanaians in the US and the world at large his rich input regarding the necessary steps that Ghana ought to take to make the upcoming elections incident-free and fair.

Future Africa Foundation (FAF) and Divine Word International Ministries (DWIM) had initiated a commendable campaign dubbed, ‘Peace for All Campaign for Ghana Election 2016,’ which is frequently aired live on the prayer line.

Mr. Kufuor’s powerful statement on the DPL, which attracted massive audience, especially in the US, officially commenced the series of activities that had been lined up as part of the “Peace for All Campaign for Ghana Election 2016.”

Former President Jerry John Rawlings, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate and President John Dramani Mahama would also be called onto the prayer line in the coming weeks for them to express their views about what should be done to make the polls peaceful.

Mr. Kufuor appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC) to put in place the necessary mechanisms and processes that would enable it win the support of the masses, which he observed would go a long way to help make the impending polls peaceful.

He also admonished the electorate to vote for a leader that has the capabilities to implement better programmes and policies that can lead to the creation of jobs and also solve the energy crisis, popularly called dumsor, to help attract investors into the country.

He commended the Divine Word International Ministries, Divine Prayer Line and Future Africa Foundation for their collaboration and working assiduously all the way in America to help ensure peaceful elections in Ghana.

Bishop Adonteng was joined live on the prayer line by church
administrators of DWIM, and about 1,000 callers
called to pray.

He thanked ex-president Kufuor for
making time out of his busy schedule to join the prayer line in support of peaceful elections in Ghana.

FAF had explained on AfricanDream.net that they invited Mr. Kufuor to speak to Ghanaians in the Diaspora based on the fact that he (Kufuor) properly managed the affairs of the state, which saw Ghana emerge as a vibrant emerging economy from 2001 to 2009.

FAF has selected Bishop Adonteng as its Peace Ambassador in the USA as part of its ‘Peace for All Campaign’ crusade.

The bishop’s prayer line is also the official Ghanaian prayer line for peace in the country before, during and after the 2016 polls.

The CEO and President of FAF, His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Duke Adu Gyamfi IV, said that the utmost desire of his organization is to contribute its quota so as to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in Ghana and all other African countries.

He has been travelling across Africa in recent times, working hard to bring the world’s attention to Ghana’s impending national elections.

He has also been able to expand the ‘Peace for All Campaign for Ghana Election 2016” across the world, drawing attention to the process.

“After the successful completion of Ghana’s peaceful election, we are hoping to replicate our peace for all campaign’s message and
initiative across Africa so that other African countries which will
be holding their general elections in succeeding years, may also benefit from the peace campaign initiatives,” Prince Duke Adu Gyamfi IV said.

According to him, his group also educates the local people on issues such as voting rights, civic education, electoral process, free and fair elections, community projects, peaceful election monitoring programmes, accurate election results reporting systems and prevention of conflicts due to elections.
“These peace initiatives, projects, and programmes are highly needed now
more than ever in Ghana and Africa. Because with secured and sustained peace, Ghana and Africa’s vibrant virgin economic market will continue
to attract international investments, sustainable tourism, and finances for infrastructure development,” HRH Adu Gyamfi intimated.

He added that “so if we can jealously protect and sustain the flourishing and peaceful democracies on the continent, it will create an enabling atmosphere for fruitful economic growth,” stressing the need for Ghanaians to embrace peace at all times.

HRH Adu Gyamfi further revealed that FAF intends to use social media and technology to empower the African youth on their paths to
good education, good health, employment, leadership, entrepreneurship, business development and economic liberation.

“But this agenda will only be successful when the youth in their respective African countries have sustainable peace and political stability within which their thought processes could be freed and empowered to be creative towards positive change in achieving their goals,” he stated.

HRH Adu Gyamfi noted that “social media and modern technology have become powerful global tools, which when harnessed positively, could create lots of young creative African social entrepreneurs, who can be inspired, educated, empowered and awakened to reach for personal achievements and be encouraged to engage in positive civic responsibilities that benefit society.
“However, none of this will be possible without social reform, sustained peace and political stability in African nations.”

The ‘Peace for All Campaign’ would officially be launched on Sunday, August 14, 2016, at the headquarters of the DWIM, located in Springfield Virginia, USA.

The much-talked-about programme will start at 3pm and end at 7pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST), according to Operations Director, Richard Adjei Mensah Ofori-Atta, who is also the Executive Director of Future Africa Foundation (FAF).

Mr. Ofori-Atta, in a chat with ‘TheAfricanDream.net’, sternly cautioned the youth in Ghana not to allow themselves to be wrongly used by selfish people to cause confusion during the national elections.

“It is in times like these that some people take advantage of the youth’s vulnerability for self-serving negative reasons,” he bemoaned bitterly, urging Ghanaian youth to take his admonition seriously so that nobody could use them for nefarious activities.

Mr. Ofori Atta also charged Ghana’s judiciary to sit up and carry out its constitutional roles with distinction to help ensure peace in the country.

“Whatever matters that may arise in connection with the election should be judiciously handled in a timely fashion to avoid the creation of distrust and tension as was in the case of the 2012 Ghana elections petition,” Mr. Ofori Atta charged.

Some of the activities lined up as part of the ‘Peace for All Campaign,’ according to him, will include the organization of prayer vigils, peace events, civic education, music concerts, games and fun activities, which would be held by some of the major Ghanaian radio stations.

He stated that the religious bodies, especially the various churches and other civic organizations in the country, would also be relied upon heavily by FAF to help promote a peaceful environment before, during and after the polls.

“We are doing all these things in the name of peace because Ghana today stands out as the most shining example of democracy in Africa.
“We must all, therefore, come on board to protect this beautiful fabric
of peace because Ghana is all we have,” declared the FAF Executive Director.
According to him, FAF had opened its doors to all opinion leaders, think-tanks, firms, institutions and individuals that are interested in supporting the ‘Peace for All Campaign.’

He said his organization is ready to help all who are interested in
using social media and technology as a means to reach out in a
positive way to Ghanaians, Africans and individuals all over the world to foster peace and development.

Future Africa is a foundation solely created to promote peace and bring together leaders, investors and the
foremost experts in every field to collaborate in finding the most
cost-effective and efficient policies and solutions necessary for
growth, development and technological modernization of Africa in the 21st century and beyond.