�.So Kufuor Invited These Pastors And They Honoured It; Why Do We Cry Over This? � Balado Queries

"When a husband has a problem with the wife, pastors are called in...this is a personal initiative by former President Kufuor...he felt these pastors could help him resolve these issues in the party..." says Former New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South in the Brong Ahafo Region, Stephen Kwaku Balado-Manu.

His remark follows reports that some men of God were carefully chosen by former President Kufuor for a meeting at his house.

A publication in the Herald newspaper reported that Ex-President, John Agyekum Kufour secretly summoned Ghana’s top men of God to his private Airport West residence to help him salvage the deepening crisis in the New Patriotic Party.

According to the pro-government newspaper, "the clergymen, who graced the secret meeting, were the respected Moderator of Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey, the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Dr. Mensah Otabil, and the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Kwaku Asante".

However, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Kwaku Asante has distanced himself from the report. According to him, he was outside the country on the supposed date of the meeting.

Meanwhile, the former president has denied that the meeting was a secret one.

A statement issued from the office of the former pres­ident and signed by his special aide and spokesperson, Frank Agyekum, indicated that Mr Kufuor decided to invite heads of some religious denominations, as well as some other prominent citizens in the country who are not known members of the party, to help broker peace and brotherliness among the top hierarchy of the party.

According to him, "the choice of these heads of the Christian denominations was based on the fact that most of the members of the party hierarchy involved in these 'peace moves' belong to the churches headed by them."

This became a controversial issue as some political pundits questioned why Archbishop Duncan Williams, the National Chief Imam and others were left out.

But speaking to the issue during a panel discussion on Radio Gold's "Alhaji and Alhaji" programme, Saturday, the former legislator said once there is no laid down criteria in choosing pastors; he does not see anything wrong in what the former President said.

"I don't see the head and tail of this argument" he said, adding "he (former Prez. Kufuor) decided that ABC pastors can help me resolve this matter...they heeded his invitation and went...maybe he wanted to have a first meeting so that if there is the need for the rest to come in they will...why do we cry over this?" he queried.