General News of Monday, 21 April 2003

Source: GNA

President Attends Easter Service

President John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife, Theresa were among a large congregation, which attended the Easter Sunday service at the Christ the King Church in Accra

The Reverend Father Stephen Adu-Kwaning, Parish Priest of the Church urged government officials to see the occasion of Easter as a divine time to renew their thoughts and actions towards government business and adopt new positive ways that would transform the economy.

"This great change which must be translated in word and deed on the part of the Executive, the Legislature, the Judiciary and other agencies of government is needed for the positive growth of the economy," he said.

Rev. Fr. Adu-Kwaning appealed to the President to consider putting in government, systems that would make Ghanaians live up to their responsibilities.

The President and his wife, clad in white clothes joined the congregation to celebrate the occasion and partook in the Holy Communion. He said it would be difficult to tell if there has been any success in the government's campaign for zero tolerance of corruption, adding that even people who professed to be Christians could confidently disregard this gem of society.

Rev Fr. Adu-Kwaning said the only way Ghana would reap the fruits of the resurrection of Christ would be for government officials to use the occasion to critically assesses themselves and rethink of better ways that would bring efficient and effective results.

He said the resurrection signified that justice has triumphed over evil and all have been called to the new light adding, "this light we must keep burning in our hearts daily as we position out thoughts on things above and not on earthly things which shall pass away.

"You cannot enjoy this sacrament of faith when you are not ready to change your old selfish and evil desires of achieving results," he said.

If Christians today could see the same joy, love, enthusiasm and hope that the early Apostles experienced when Christ resurrected, then evil must not have a place to thrive in our lives, Rev. Fr. Adu-Kwaning said. The congregation prayed for the nation, the President and his government and all Ghanaians.