Selling your vote for goats, chicken, money, T-shirts and other enticements amounts to selling the part you own in Ghana's sovereignty as a citizen, pastor Mensa Otabil has said.
Teaching about the need for Ghanaians to see the voting process as a very serious event that needed to be seen as such, the founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) said "your vote is your sovereignty." Voting is not a "joke", he said.
"The vote does not belong to the people we are voting for, it belongs to you," Dr Otabil noted, adding: "Supporting a political party is not like supporting a football team."
The outcome of voting, he said, "affects the quality of your life," so "it's possible to vote for somebody who will destroy your life."
"So voting is not about entertainment, it's not about teasing people, it's not a joke, it's not making fun, it's not about wearing jerseys, it's not a bout symbols.
"You have to fully consider all the proposals: go beyond party names, go beyond party adverts, go beyond party slogans, consider what each party has proposed; what have they put on the table? Fully consider it.
"It's not betting, it's not horse racing, your vote does not belong to a party, it does not belong to a candidate, it's your votum, it's your sacred oath, you own it, it's your portion of the sovereignty of the state, don't exchange it for temporary benefits, you cannot exchange your vote for T-shirts and little monies here and there, and a piece of cloth and goats and chicken, your sovereignty is far more expensive than chicken. Do you know why people will pay chicken for your vote? Because they know you don't value it and they want to buy it cheap from you, it's your votum, it's your sacred responsibility and go beyond party colours. I can say without any shred of doubt that since 1992, I've voted for different parties. It is an insult to your intelligence to put your vote on autopilot,' Dr Otabil said.
Dr Otabil asked Ghanaians to vote for what they want as individuals rather than what their party or tribe wants. "...It's not even about winning or losing, it's about what you believe in, because you don't vote for a winning party, you vote for your beliefs."
"The vote will determine what food is on your table, the winning proposal will determine the destiny of the state, you get what you vote for, your quality of life is determined by the result of your vote," "so you can actually vote for a party which can punish you. And they can punish you and create hardship for you but because you see it like supporting Olympics or Accra Hearts of Oak, you still support, although the policies are not favouring you, it's not about party colours, a nation becomes what its citizens vote for," Dr Otabil added. "We have to pray that the citizens will make intelligent choices."
Pastor Otabil also said "if the idea that you voted for wins, you don't just go and sit down, you demand for it, and if they don't fulfill it, punish them, don't let anybody feel they can take your vote for granted."
Meanwhile, Dr Otabil has been advising Ghanaians and the electorate on who and what to vote for:
1. Vote for your dreams and aspirations. Look at your future projections, where you are going and see the proposal that best suits where you are going in life: what kind of future do you want, what kind of vision you have for your life? Think about your life, consider the proposals and ask yourself: which of these ones will help me become the person I want to be or my children or my grandchildren become what I want them to be? Which idea best fits my dreams and aspirations, not which colour I support or which slogan sounds nice, for which idea best helps me become whom I want to be, so, vote for your dreams and aspirations and never allow any politician to take you for granted. Don't let anybody abuse your intelligence and think that they can sing you into a vote, or dance you into a vote, or dessert you into a vote, it's your dream, it's your aspiration.
2. Vote for your beliefs and your values: what do you value, what is important to you, what do you believe, what are the things that you wouldn’t compromise in life? Look at all of that. Do you value honesty, do you value truth, do you value integrity, do you think purity is important, who and what ideas represent your values?
And
3. Vote for the best interest of your nation. Remember your vote doesn't just affect you but it will shape the destiny of your nation. Look at your nation, where it is and where it wants to be. Which of the proposals will help us get to a better place? Which of them?
Think of other citizens of Ghana; do you think life will be good for them if this particular idea succeeds?
Will it help the generality of the people? Will it serve everybody's best interest or you are voting because you think when your party wins you would get something, because somebody has promised you something?
That is selfishness and that is an insult to yourself, to your sacred votum.
But look at your nation: where are we, where do we want to go and make a wise choice. The advice I want to give you is that prayerfully consider this and not only at one time but every election time.
Your vote should not be fixed, your vote is always an expression of a proposal that is in agreement with you, so you may support a party one year and not support them another year, you may support a candidate one year and not support them another year because the proposal they put on the table this time is not in your best interest.
If every Ghanaian thinks like that, our politicians will stop distributing T-shirts and making songs and giving money and playing games with our mind.
They will know they have a people who respect their vote; that is a sacred responsibility and anytime they go to that ballot, they are there to think of their hopes and aspirations and the aspirations of the nation and they want a better life for themselves.
Source: classfm
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GOD BLESS THIS TRUTHFUL MAN.I KNOW MOST PEOPLE WILL SEE THIS AS ***barred word*** THIS BUT I WILL SAVE OUR LIFE IF WE TAKE THIS ADVISE. GOD BLESS YOU FATHER.
Do you people remember that thee president himself is not found of campaigning in the local language? What is your take on that? If you want to insult the man of God on the basis of that?
Please, what has Dr Otabil said to warrant your insults? He has achieved what in your whole life you will not even get near in life. even if he has a fake degree, tell me what you have used your degree to achieve in life for the people of Ghana? Because of party colours and the little you might get from the tax payers money you are insulting a very prominent person like Rev. Mensa Otabil. Why? Insulting the people of Ashanti Region is not what we need now. It is not the basis for democracy. Don't you think that there people from that region who also vote for your NDC? What will happen if they withdraw their votes? We need peace but some of you are so drunk with out money that your arrogance can lead you to insult everybody. But God will tell.
Nice one daddy.
mensah otabil and owusu bempah are the same. all have fake dr. degree and attention seekers. need diplomatic passport to do their private business at the expense of their congregation. l wish we get the likes of late ackah blay meizah to govern this country because the illitracy rate is high in ghana. lt is very easy to obtain dr degree in overseas because it is a way to mentally enslave their citizens.
enough of your stupiiiid hypocracy, talk about primitive women and men in ashanti region slautering sheep/goat infront of npp regional quarters preach modern civilization. why don't you use the tithes to feed the needy but rather invest in business to make more money and travel in business class at the expense of your congregation. everybody has a right to his or her choice you have no damn right to decide for anybody. ghanaians should be able to distinguish con businessmen using the bibile. why don't you preach against citizen hooting at the president in kumasi. akuffo addo is a presidential candidate of a part just like joy or nduom
No one is disputing what the man is saying, what some of us are saying is that most of the electorate do not understand English, so if he could preach in the local languages he could get a lot of people to understand him directly. In this case everything he says needs to be explained to a lot of people who do not speak or understand English, period.
God help most ghanaian.He has talked about real wisdom in choosing your leaders and you will not thank this man,you are trying to let people think he is taking sides,he has given you a logical basis to choose your leader,not on tribal basis but on policies.See education is the sweetest gift for every humanity.Derek Bok said if you think education is expensive-try ignorance.
It is true. Do not sell your sacred votes for chicken, t-shirts, money, etc. Vote for ideas and policies like one district one factory; one village one dam; 1 Million Dollars for a constituency for grassroot development; virtually zero tolerance of corruption; competent economic and resource management in Ghana, etc. of NPP, Dr. Bawumia and Nana Akufo Addo. Else posterity will judge us if we fail to allow NDC to continue.
Is he preaching war? open your mind's eye and see the sense he is saying. I hope your vote is not on autopilot