Fellow Ghanaians, as we celebrate the Christmas holidays I extend the
warmest greetings of my family and I to you all.

Christmas falls at a very important period on the annual calendar. It
coincides with the end of the year and ushers in a new year.

The celebration serves as a source of stocktaking for each individual as it
officially also marks the end of the working year for many.

The year 2008 has no doubt been tough nevertheless the proverbial Ghanaian
belief that God will provide has carried us through the year and Christians
and Muslims alike have to be thankful to the Almighty for His abundant
blessings.

Religious as the original celebration of Christmas may represent, the
festivities have also taken on a secular angle with various entertainment
events from parties to wild nights out.

One cannot begrudge the Ghanaian for choosing to celebrate the end of the
year with some entertainment, but let us do so with a decent element of
sobriety and thoughtfulness.

Such periods tend to unfortunately record huge motor accidents and excessive
abuse of alcohol and sadly to say other substances not fit to mention.

It is important that we recognise the religious significance not only of the
occasion but also of the particular period of the year. God being so
magnanimous has taken us through to the end of the year and we need not mock
His generosity by abusing our bodies.

Christmas is also a period of gift giving. As we offer token gifts to our
family, friends and loved ones we should not forget our biblical
responsibility to give to the less privileged in society.

Acts 20:35 aptly enjoins us:

I have shown you in every way by laboring like this, that you must support
the weak. And remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is
more blessed to give than to receive.


I enjoin Ghanaians to use the period for sober reflection particularly
because two days after Boxing Day we will be going to the polls to elect our
President in the election runoff.

It is important that we do not see the act of making Presidential choices as
one of enmity between two opposing factions. The choices we are making are
private choices based on our inner convictions and it is important we do not
allow ourselves to become vessels of anger, violence, intimidation and
fraud.

Let us rather use this occasion to sow seeds of affection, unity and
togetherness even if we belong to opposing political factions. We owe an
obligation to generations to come to make this process a success.

I call on all Ghanaians to stretch a hand of unity to each other and eschew
acts of dishonesty during the electoral process. The consequences of any
ill-motivated actions will bring a curse on our dear nation of ours.

To all political parties, security agencies, the Electoral Commission and
other arms of the state who will be responsible for the electoral process it
is important that we operate above reproach and exercise a high level of
professionalism, independence and fairness that will ensure that our
Christmas season will end in peace and tranquillity.

We deserve to elect a president through people?s power not through forgery
and fraud and all December 28 let us use our choices sensibly and desist
from using anything other than our single vote to make that choice.

Isaiah 9: 6 - "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the
government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful
Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Merry Christmas and a most Prosperous 2008 to you all.

Signed: Jerry John Rawlings