General News of Friday, 23 April 2004

Source: GNA

Need for prompt and proper legal aid for suspects-Rev. Afele

Accra, April 23, GNA--Rev. J. K. Afele, Chairman of the West Volta Presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana has commended the Government for providing enough logistics for the Police Administration to wage a relentless war on crime in the country. He noted that as a result of the mobility of the police, particularly the Striking Force the crime wave had satisfactorily reduced.

Rev. Afele who was speaking at the 30th Conference of the Presbytery in Accra, however, called for prompt and proper legal action to be taken against suspected criminals.

The four-day conference is under the theme: "That All May Have Life and Have It Abundantly".

Rev. Afele appealed to Ghanaians to see the police as friends and not enemies and assist them with relevant information about perpetrators of crime in the society.

On the media scene, he noted that although they were performing well, many people were not happy with the advertisement of unwanted goods for public consumption, profane songs and the publication of defamatory stories about some personalities.

Rev. Afele called for the nurturing of Ghana's fledging democracy but however, cautioned against indiscipline in lieu of freedom, adding, "too much freedom does not help the growth of any country".

He condemned the careless attitude of some youth in the church who indulge in social vices, adding, "immorality among the youth particularly during annual rallies of groups have become the order of the day and this attitude should change."

Rev Afele said plans were underway to open an E. P University and appealed to all and sundry for assistance to facilitate the provision of infrastructure for the successful take-off of the University. Mr. John K. Dorgba, Deputy Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Director commended the E.P. Church for its role in the provision of education in the country and called on other churches to emulate the Church.