Friday, August 28, 2009

CALL ON CHRISTIANS TO HELP FIGHT TRIBALISM (PAGE 31)

Christians have been urged to champion the fight against tribalism, hatred, gossip, and envy which have bedevilled the society.
The Grand Lady, Sister Victoria Yellu, who made the call at the 19th Western Regional Conference of the Noble Order of Knights and Ladies of Marshall, said such behaviours were a complete setback for the socio-economic development of the country.
She said some members of the Christian fraternity had adopted negative behaviours that had gone a long way to mar the aims and objectives for which the Noble Order and other forms of religious organisations were founded.
“Our society is Christian and Catholic for that matter, so as brothers and sisters, let us eschew hatred, gossip, envy, the pull-him-down attitude and tribalism, and rather live as one family, consoling and encouraging one another and sharing our joy,” she said.
Sister Yellu said every citizen of Ghana should welcome and embrace one another irrespective of one’s tribal, ethnic or religious background and desist from acts that portrayed Christianity in negative terms.
For his part, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, said religious organisations in the country had been one major partner of government in the areas of education, agriculture development, health promotion, water and sanitation.
“Government will, therefore, continue to see the Church as a major collaborator in its agenda to move the country forward,” he said.
The minister urged religious organisations to be the vanguard in reconciliation to strengthen the country’s democratisation process.
“If you use your podium to champion reconciliation and national unity, the country would be stronger to fight against indiscipline, ethnicity, tribalism and corruption,” he said.
The Vicar General of the Sekondi/Takoradi Diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Oric Awotwe-Dadson, said there were many problems such as injustice, lack of peace, social inequities, crave for power and corruption that had afflicted the world today.
He said the sad part of the situation was that many of these conflicts were associated with Africa and the earlier the answers were found to issues of conflicts, war and marginalisation the needed peace for the development across Africa would not be achieved.
The conference also had officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who educated the congregation on environmental issues and the role of the Church in finding solutions to many environmental problems.
New regional executive members of the noble order were also elected into office.

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