Apostle Dr. Stephen Kwame Amoani, Chairman of the Christ Apostolic Church International (CACI), has said institutions established to correct and punish wrongdoing should be well resourced to execute their mandate effectively.

This, according to him, would help to stem the ever-increasing crime rate in the country.

Apostle Amoani was addressing the 57th Session of the Ministerial and General Council Meeting of the church in Koforidua on the theme: “Impacting the Church through Transformational Leadership”.

He asked the Government and stakeholders, including the church, to build communities with equal opportunities for the people because inequality in opportunity breeds deviance and social vices such as corruption, robbery and killing in a country.

“The vision should, therefore, be accomplished without discrimination in a situation where individuals would have a sense of belonging and dignity, where the marginalised would be protected and wrongdoers apprehended and punished.

“We should also, as a nation, aim at maximising the use of our human resources irrespective of gender, tribe, religion or political colour; to enhance the best service for the country,” Apostle Amoani said.

He said, “Integrity should be the value that permeates the rank and file of the Ghanaian society and all citizens must be imbued with qualities of always seeking the best for Ghana, so that our dear nation will be a community with recognition for diversity where every citizen is each other’s keeper with a strong resolve and commitment of winning together”.

On behalf of the CAC I, Apostle Amoani pledged the church’s determination to actively collaborate with the state and engage each other in all aspects of national development be it socio-cultural, economic, or health to build a better Ghana for the generations unborn.

Dr Kwaku Owusu Acheampong, Municipal Chief Executive of the New Juaben Municipality, asked leaders of the nation to exhibit transparency and responsibility to be able to help correct and punish those who breach the law.

“What our leaders should know is that their followers are watching them and would follow their steps. “They should, therefore, make it a national duty to empower their followers spiritually and physically to grow the calibre of servers the nation required,” he said.

Baffuor Nyantakyi Tutu Boateng, Krontihene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, who spoke extensively on the theme, said the youth had become vulnerable to crimes mostly due to idleness and should be identified by the churches and assisted accordingly.

He said: “We are currently in a world of change where moral values, especially those of the youth, are crumbling nearly every day”.

Consequently, it was imperative that, among other things, churches and their leaders should target and uplift the moral values of society, especially among the youth, some of whom were engaging in abominable practices such as homosexuality and lesbianism, he said.

He placed the youth in four groups; some were apathetic to the word of God, others showed interest, some were excited about God while others were passionate about the work of God.

He said all those categories should be identified at their various levels and the positive aspects brought out for national development.

Baffuor Tutu Boateng, however, commended the churches for their roles in moulding the lives of children to turn from social vices.

Apostle Dr. Michael Nimo, former Chairman of the Church, led the congregation to pray for the nation and her people and asked churches all over the country to intensify evangelism to bring more people to Christ.

The week-long programme is aimed at assessing the activities of the church such as achievements, challenges and policies of the previous year and plan for the new year.

Delegates around the globe including executive council members, apostles and ministers, foreign and local missionaries, prophets and prophetesses, departmental heads, elders, deacons and deaconesses attended the meeting.