Eastern Regional Minister Calls For Government/Church Partnership

Mrs Helen Adwoa Ntoso, Eastern Regional Minister has noted that Government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of developing the nation, hence the need to forge partnership with the church. She has therefore called on the Christian community and other faith-based organisations, to continue to partner the Government in its development efforts. The Regional Minster made the call at the opening of the 13th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) at Abetifi in the Kwahu South District. She gave the assurance that Government would provide the enabling environment for the fruitful partnership to materialise. Mrs Ntoso said Government recognises the immense contribution of the PCG towards the growth of the nation, particularly in the provision of basic, secondary and tertiary education, healthcare, agricultural services and other social interventions throughout the length and breadth of this country. Touching on the theme of the General Assembly, which was: �The Fruit of the Holy Spirit and the Believer,� the Regional Minister expressed the hope that members of the PCG in particular and Ghanaians in general would champion the bearing of the fruit of the holy spirit. �This is because it is only by having the fruit of the holy spirit; �love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,� that we can all build a prosperous nation,� Mrs Ntoso said. She commended Ghanaians for their patience, cooperation and support during the hearing of the Election Petition case at the Supreme Court, initiated by the main opposition New Patriotic Party against the ruling National Democratic Congress. Mrs Ntoso said: �Such a process is good for our nation, and in the end, it is Ghana who wins.� She appealed to Ghanaians to protect the prevailing peace by not doing anything to disturb national stability after the Supreme Court verdict on August 29. �May we continue to live in peace and harmony as one people with a common destiny since we have no other nation but Ghana, so let�s protect it,� she stressed. Rt Rev Amenu, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian, said Ghana needs peace to facilitate and sustain the development agenda. He said it is therefore the wish of the Christian community that the 2012 election petition would be resolved peacefully. Rev Dr Kwabena Opuni, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, said the peace of the country must be everybody�s responsibility. He said it is unfortunate that Ghanaians find themselves in seeming division of the two major political parties, which according to him seems to submerge the allegiance of the citizens to their motherland. Rev Opuni-Frimpong therefore called on Ghanaians to rise above partisan affiliation, religious segregation and ethnic differentiation to put Ghana first. Rt Rev Michael Agyarkwa Bossman, Bishop of Koforidua Diocese of the Methodist Church, assured Ghanaians that God would grant the nation peace despite the widespread fear that the Supreme Court verdict on the election petition would lead to bloodshed. He said God had never failed Ghana before, and God would never fail the nation this time and urged Ghanaians to continue to pray for the country.