Sekondi, Jan. 1, GNA - The Most Reverend John Martin Darko, Bishop of the Sekondi-Takoradi diocese of the Catholic Church has advised politicians not to pursue any hidden agenda but fulfil their pledge before God to serve the people in truth and peace at all times.

He said truth; justice, transparency and accountability were virtues that must be the guiding principles of every institution, else democratic governance would become and empty slogan.

Bishop Darko was delivering his New Year message through the Ghana News Agency at Sekondi on Sunday.

"Our politicians must realise that they have a duty before God to serve us in truth and peace and not to follow any hidden agenda," he said and warned the people to avoid violence and armed conflicts because they would not offer solutions to the country's problems. Bishop Darko said the politicisation of the Dagbon issue must end to pave the way for a lasting peace in the area. "We must make amends to cool hearts and no politician should use Dagbon as a political party gold mine".

The only driving force that motivated violence, indiscipline, selfishness, he said, was misplaced pride, parochial interests and bad will.

Bishop Darko spoke against corruption, cheating and other vices in all sectors of the society and condemned some religious leaders who had "turned Churches into supermarkets where they sold Jesus for money and riches like Judas did".

He emphasised the need for greater unity between the nation and the church to enhance development, saying the church played complementary roles in support of government as they two were not rivals. Bishop Darko said the people had lived on promises for far too long and it was time to make them feel the reality of economic and social emancipation.

"The reality of our economic growth must begin to show in peoples' pockets and the meals they eat", he said and added that the New Year must bring lots of hope and great expectations to Ghanaians.