Veep gives assurance of transparent governance

Page 24: Daily Graphic, February 17, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
Vice-President John Mahama yesterday gave the assurance that the government would evolve policies to ensure non-discrimination, good, accountable and transparent governance in the country.
He said the government had put together an elaborate plan to develop Ghana into a country where there would be adequate food, shelter and clothing for the average citizen and also create the necessary conditions for every Ghanaian to develop his or her potential to the fullest.
He gave the assurance when he opened the Second Synod of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, the outcome of which will inform the medium-term goal of the strategic development plan for the archdiocese and also inform decrees that will be issued to guide the life of the church for the next five to 10 years.
An eight-chapter working document has been put together for the second synod, which is on the theme, “Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptising them ... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you: Renewing the Church and fulfilling our vocation and mission in the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra in preparation for our 125th anniversary”.
Topics to be discussed are justice, peace and reconciliation in the archdiocese, pastoral care in a cosmopolitan setting, the development of the youth as disciples with a mission, marriage and family life, life of sanctification, liturgical life and human resources of the agents of evangelisation in the archdiocese.
Mr Mahama said the charge of love of God and of one’s neighbour in contemporary Ghana was the creation of the necessary conditions for the citizenry to have access to the basic necessities of life.
He said a good healthcare system, a good educational system, good agricultural policies, family welfare, good, transparent and accountable governance were also necessities which Ghanaians must strive to achieve.
He said the government acknowledged the enormity of the charge on it and had resolved to lead Ghanaians in the right direction towards the achievement of a better Ghana in which it would be the norm to love God and one’s neighbour.
“Admittedly, there will be a cross to carry to achieve the goals the current government has set for itself, but I believe and trust fully in the mercy of God to carry us through to the end,” he said.
Fortunately, Mr Mahama said, the Catholic Church had been a partner of the government in seeking the welfare of the people of Ghana in health care, education, micro-financing, agriculture and women empowerment, saying that “the credit union and the National Health Insurance Scheme are some of the landmarks bequeathed to Ghanaians by the Catholic Church”.
While acknowledging the work of other churches in the country, he said “the contribution of the Catholic Church to education, health care, good, transparent and accountable governance, as well as the basic necessities of life, can neither be underestimated nor ignored”.
Vice-President Mahama said the government would, therefore, urge the Catholic Church and all other churches to continue with the good work they had been doing, while it created the necessary conditions for every Ghanaian to develop his/her potential to the fullest.
He said the church in Ghana had served as the conscience of the nation and given voice to the voiceless, fought unconstitutional rule, dictatorship and intervened in times of crisis, particularly the Ghana Peace Council, the Catholic Bishops Conference and the Christian Council of Ghana.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Palmer-Buckle, said the synod would seek to ensure total geographical coverage by the church of the entire archdiocese, ensure quality growth in faith of Catholics in the face of the various religious, spiritual and moral challenges of living in a cosmopolitan setting such as Accra and Tema, as well as build up and improve upon the capacity and spirit of self-reliance, professional skills and expertise in the finances of individual church members.
The General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal Council, Apostle Ekow B. Wood, said history had accorded the Catholic Church the privilege of leadership, which had made the Christian fraternity use the Catholic Church as a measuring rod.
He said other Christians had always admired the Catholic Church for its orderliness, respect for hierarchy and practicalisation of the faith through the provision of healthcare services, education and other services for the society.
He acknowledged the role of the Catholic Church in promoting unity in the country, particularly the Archdiocese of Accra, and proposed that all Christians commit themselves to the holding of annual unity services, as unity is best demonstrated in diversity.
The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev Dr Fred Deegbe, was hopeful that the synod would come out with recommendations which would reflect and promote moral uprightness in the society.
He said the outcome should also set the agenda for Christians and the nation to deal with the challenges confronting the nation.