The founder and head pastor of Gospel Light International Church, Bishop Mathew Addae-Mensah has said that if the president wanted Ghanaians to believe him as someone in charge, then he should have taken the opportunity to apologize to Dr. Mensah Otabil and the church in general when a section of the Clergy called on him at the Castle.

“My personal opinion and view is that in as much as some hardliners in the NDC and advisers to the president like Dr. Tony Aidoo continue to remain stiff to their personal position against the church and the clergy, some of us will be persistent in our crusade against them too. If people will lean on their own wisdom and despise God, I can assure them that they will not succeed in their agenda. Very soon God will strike if they don’t desist from their deliberate diabolic schemes against the Church of Jesus Christ. I repeat God will speak and clearly demonstrate to such people that he owns this Universe and he will always remain supreme,” Bishop Addae-Mensah said.

Bishop Addae-Mensah made these statements in a follow up interview with this reporter after speaking to Fiifi Boafo of Oman FM yesterday.

He indicated that in principle the idea of the President John Mahama meeting the clergy at the seat of government is a noble one.

Bishop Addae – Mensah who is a member of the clergy, said it was about time the clergy and the church rose up to defend morality and uprightness in Ghana. He however, expressed his disappointment in President John Mahama for continuing to surround himself with cronies and advisers whose actions appear to be against the very existence of the church in the land.

“For me, the President’s decision to have met with the clergy was a noble idea, but I think it smacks of hypocrisy. Those around the presidency continue to insult and demean the authority of God and the Church but the President seems not to have done anything concrete to stop them,” he told Fiifi Boafo, the host of Oman Fm’s morning show – National Agenda, in Accra yesterday.

“When Dr Mensah Otabil held a press conference he made a personal appeal to call his men to order in relation to his (Dr Otabil’s) pulpit sermon being aired in favor of the NDC 2012 campaign. Unfortunately and disappointingly, the President has not done anything to reduce the tension,” he said.

In expatiating further on the seeming ongoing impasse between the NDC and the church, Bishop Addae-Mensah maintained that so far President John Mahama has not exhibited any firm leadership qualities to deal with the matter.

“Was it not only few days ago when lawyer Kakra Essamuah of the NDC who likened Dr. Mensah Otabil to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And what has he the president done about it?” he questioned.

“Leadership is not just about doing the talk. It is about being honest and truthful to the issues confronting us. If President Mills were to be alive – he would have personally made a call to either Dr Otabil or any other personality within the church fraternity and rendered an apology for what is raging on. I reiterate my position that, the president must demonstrate to all that he is indeed a member of the assemblies of God church.”

Bishop Mathew Addae-Mensah is also of the view that if the arrogant posture assumed by some prominent members of the NDC is not checked and brought under control today – it may explode in our faces as a country.

“If some of us sit by unconcerned and do not assist to bring this kind of behaviour under control, I can assure all of us that the situation could be explosive and none can contain it in the near future,” he said.

“Today most of the Clergy are mute over what is happening to Prof Rev Martey, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Bishop Osei Bonsu of the Ghana Catholic Conference, Pastor Mensah Otabil, head of International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) and Maulvi Wahab Adam of the Ahmadiya Mission. But tomorrow this same mischief could be extended to eminent persons at the forefront in Ghana such as the Arch Bishop Duncan Williams, Bishop James Saah, Bishop Charles Agyin Asare or anybody else, “he said.

With passion stirring on his face, Bishop Addae-Mensah rounded up his words saying, “I think the church is asleep and we must wake up to defend the course of this country. If we continue to remain adamant then those selfish politicians will take us for granted.”