In October 2014, the now-former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Martey, speaking at the foundation stone and dedication of a church building for the Kwadaso Trinity Congregation in Kumasi, said that Ghana needs wise men to rule in order to save the nation from its numerous challenges.
“We need to be told as truth, the biblical cliche that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We need wisdom to rule this country,” he said.
“Nyasafuoeii mo wo hin?” (Where are the wise men?), he shouted at the congregation most of whom screamed out in laughter.
Before Rev. Martey’s ‘Nyasafuo’ preaching, Pastor Mensah Otabil on November 12, 2012, made the following statement in a sermon:
“There is a sinister force on the prowl. It is a force of impunity. It is a force of treachery. It is a force of evil. To keep silent in such a situation is to allow evil to triumph.”
“I kindly call upon the President of the Republic to rise up and speak on this issue. With all due respect, sir, although you may not be aware of these developments, the perpetrators of these blatant acts of impunity are largely affiliates and surrogates of your party,” he continued.
Going forward, the situation of our beloved country is worst than what provoked Pastor Mensah Otabil and Rev. Martey to make those statements in 2012 And 2014 respectively.
As I write, things are hard, and the pain that has taken residence in the hearts of many Ghanaians is incredibly excruciating. Ghana has gone into the “abaabase” mode. Our debonair former President Mahama must be a prophet. I heard him severally on campaign platforms prior to the 2016 elections that the country doesn’t need any “abaabase”, but unfortunately, the nation is on the cusp of falling off a cliff.
Hardship
Insecurity
Frustration
Death
And
More.
In the face of rising Corona Virus cases, the Electoral Commission of Ghana has gone ahead with the voters’ registration exercise which many well-meaning Ghanaians including Civil Society Groups, Major Opposition Political Parties, Prominent Chiefs, Religious Leaders, the Ghana Medical Association, etcetera, vehemently opposed because of the risk the exercise poses to the general public. True to their fear, there is a complete disregard for health and safety protocols at most registration centres. And many Ghanaians are concerned that COVID-19 cases could gallop exponentially within the coming weeks.
News are rife on social media alleging that while the government has banned parents from visiting their wards on campuses of Senior High Schools to control the spread of CIVID-19 amongst students, some National Executive Members of the ruling NPP are going round some Senior High Schools campaigning for votes. Pictures of this have gone viral on social media.
The question many are asking is that why will the government cancel cabinet meetings and shut down some state institutions over Corona Virus threat, but allow tens of thousands of Senior High School students to go to school because it wants them to register and vote for the President and his party?
The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak in his frustration on the issue said, “If the real motive to reopen schools is for final year students to prepare to write their final examinations, then a second look at this motive in the face of rising cases and reported cases of the deadly virus in some schools is warranted.”
“We must prioritize the lives of the students, after all, how can sick or dead students write exams? The examinations can be postponed, but the safety of our future leaders cannot be postponed,” he further stated.
In all these, it is extremely disturbing that most of the wise men of the land are absolutely silent. The Bible says, “Touch not my anointed. . .” and so who am I to touch God’s anointed? I, however, want someone to respectfully tell Pastor Mensah Otabil that I really enjoy his preaching, and it has now become critical for him to repeat his sermon, “There is a sinister force on the prowl in our nation. It is a force of impunity. It is a force of treachery. It is a force of evil. To keep silent in such a situation is to allow evil to triumph.”
And to Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Martey, I’m shouting on top of my voice, “Nyasafuoeii mo wo hin? Nyasafuoeii mo wo hin?”
Anthony Obeng Afrane