Regional News of Monday, 29 November 2004

Source: GNA

Ghanaians urged to massively elect their leaders

Koforidua, Nov. 29, GNA - The Right Reverend Emmanuel G.L Twum-Baah, Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese of the Methodist Church, on Saturday urged all eligible Ghanaians to massively turn out to elect their leaders on December 7.

He reminded Christians that it behoved them to lead the people in choosing their leaders in an acceptable and comfortable manner. Bishop Twum-Baah was speaking in an interview with the GNA after the launch of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Church at Koforidua, which was on the theme, "The mind which was in Christ Jesus".

He said asked Christians not to shy away from the electoral process and reminded them that they were required by the 1992 Constitution to exercise their franchise.

The Bishop said the Church had made tremendous strives and would improve education and health and assist in reducing poverty among the people to raise their standards of living.

He said the Diocese had established three girls' senior secondary schools, namely; the Mamfe Girls High, Oyoko Methodist and Kingsby Girls and several basic schools in the area and built two clinics. Rev. Twum-Baah said most of the development projects initiated by the Church were in the rural areas and hinted that the Church had acquired land for the establishment of a senior secondary school at Mame Krobo in the Afraim Plains district.

He called on Christians to be prayerful, virtuous, dutiful and sincere to win more souls for Christ.

The weeklong celebration would include a symposium, candle light procession, gospel rock show, presentation of awards to members who were dedicated to the Church and a fundraising to raise funds for rural development.

The Koforidua Diocese of the Methodist Church, which was calved out of the Accra Diocese in 1979, with five circuits, now has 18 circuits with about 27,000 members.