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“So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see…” (Matthew 23:3-5). The above saying by Jesus was just an introductory remark in His exposition on Hypocrisy in Matthew 23. The entire chapter was dedicated to hypocritical behaviour and its consequences for both the culprits and their victims. It can also be referred to as “Preaching virtue and practising vice.” One phrase that ran through the exposition not less than seven times was “Woe to you Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites”. It was, therefore, evident that the ever-loving Lord expressed His disgust at the phenomena where people preach water but end up drinking wine. One group of people who disturbed the Lord during His earthly ministry by several attempts to get Him off His balance were the hypocrites around His line of engagement. Suffice it to say that even demons did not obstruct Him that much. In describing them at one point, He used phrases such as “You blind fools, whitewashed tombs, snakes and brood of vipers, etc.”. Rather than seeing Jesus as a non-diplomatic hot-headed Messiah, let us take time to glean lessons from why He detested hypocritical tendencies in such a despicable manner. 

Today, most believers would bear with me that hypocrisy amongst the brethren has graduated from it being a stumbling block to a fully fletched stronghold. It has invaded people’s family lives, arrested the beauty of relationships within organisations and has made serious inroads within the body of Christ, resulting in deep and irreparable cracks amongst believers. Others have also argued strongly that what some often judge as hypocritical is rather diplomacy and not hypocrisy. Some insist that hiding a belief and balancing and adjusting oneself to suit the trending temperature and pressure of the day for convenience is just wisdom at play and not necessarily hypocrisy. How and why people can gather all the energy and momentum to loudly preach water but hide and drink wine (i.e. Hypocrisy) is the puzzle the write-up seeks to discuss. Attempts will also be made to suggest ways hypocrisy can be avoided or eliminated as much as it depends on us.

Hypocrisy is not showing loyalty, respect, reverence, humility and obedience to people in authority. Greetings and salutations to people in power, such as ” Your majesty! Long live the king etc.” shouldn’t also be viewed as hypocrisy even though People like Daniel’s detractors abused that felicitation in furtherance of their selfish ambitions (Daniel 6; 3:9). We are all required to give honour to those deserving, respect, and support those in authority. Unfortunately, some who exhibit such godly and enviable traits sometimes get tagged hypocrites.

The dictionary defines Hypocrisy as the practice of claiming to have higher moral standards or beliefs to which one’s behaviour does not conform. Words such as; Pretence, sanctimoniousness, false virtue, insincerity, falseness, falsity, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, dishonesty, duplicity, imposture, two-facades, and double-dealing are some of its synonyms. In my own words, hypocrisy is living a lying or deceitful life. It is, therefore, not surprising that the Lord never countenanced any form of it, no matter how little. The measure of hypocrisy in a person’s life is the difference between their words and actions. So, the higher the difference, the higher the level of hypocrisy. 

Hypocrisy is exhibited through mediums such as speech, attitude, actions, gestures and mannerisms. Hypocrisy can, therefore, be expressed or implied in a person’s behaviour. The common ones that usually get some pissed off are when people criticise their neighbours for something they are guilty of, according to Luke 6:42. There are, however, more sophisticated ones which are even more deadly. Judas Iscariot used a warm kiss to exhibit his on the night in which the Lord Jesus was betrayed. In Jeremiah 9:8, the Bible gives an example of the kind of talk from the mouth that doesn’t emanate from the heart but the mind. Words that come from the mind can be deceptive at times. Therefore, as Christians, we must be careful what we utter to God with our lips because, unlike all other gods, He is omniscient.

Some possible reasons and undercurrents for hypocritical behaviour are selfish ambitions, fear, men-pleasing syndrome, greed, discontentment, praise loving and conformance. It must, however, be stated that it is the natural birth and the fallout of the seed of sin through the Adamic fall that makes all humans disposed of hypocrisy. The flesh, therefore, swings towards hypocrisy by default. Pointing accusing fingers at others as you read this article is not the way to go since you may end up being the worst culprit if you lose your guard.

I have also heard a forceful argument being made by some that what people often tag as hypocrisy is instead diplomacy or the display of wisdom but is misconstrued to be hypocrisy. Diplomacy is the art of dealing with people sensitively and effectively. The English lexicon uses similar words such as tactfulness, sensitivity, discretion, and finesse to describe this rather good virtue and which has nothing to do with hypocrisy. Resolving conflicts and exerting a positive impact and influence on some individuals and society requires tactfulness or the art of diplomacy. The use of diplomacy calms nerves and brings down tension on such occasions. The entire household of Nabal was saved from a massacre by David and his men through the act of wisdom and diplomacy of Mrs. Abigail (1 Samuel 25). The diplomacy of Christ during His earthly ministry was second to none. His engagements with the Samaritan woman, Zaccheus, the tax collectors and the Teachers of the law attested to this. The honouring of His mother Mary’s request against His initial stands to turn water to wine at the wedding in Cana were other examples of diplomacy and tactfulness when He came to live with humankind. Yet, none was truthful, plain, and at times confrontational as Christ anytime the situation called for such responses.

Embedded, however, in hypocrisy at times is a certain appearance and film of diplomacy. In some circumstances, it is not simple to look sharp diplomatically without veering off and slipping into the lane of hypocrisy like Peter and Barnabas found themselves in one particular instance and which was duly confronted by Paul in Galatians 2:11-14. “When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he feared those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy so that by their hypocrisy, even Barnabas was led astray.

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all…”. Some believers, I think, have problems as to why Paul didn’t keep quiet and win the accolade as a “wise” and “smart” Apostle but chose to go on that tangent with Peter, a senior colleague at the time. For fear of falling out with the Jerusalem caucus, Peter fell into a hypocritical act. I must admit that there are occasions where I have been caught in similar webs in my quest to be diplomatic with some issues. May the good Lord forgive me. It’s all because I overstretched the limit of diplomacy in those instances. Thank God Peter took the rebuke in good faith and did not argue with Paul. When reprimanded by the Holy Spirit or confronted by others on a hypocritical gesture, let us not take it personally or be overly defensive. Paul has, thus, been judged as being temperamental and a non-discretionary talkative who knew very little about diplomacy. I beg to differ because we’re talking about someone who could keep his mouth shut about secrets for more than 14yrs. Even until his death regarding some heavenly mysteries, he was privileged to understand but not permitted to utter a word about it to mortal men (2 Corinthians 12:2). 

How diplomatic could Jesus have been without exposing Judas on the night He was betrayed as the betrayer? How diplomatic could Daniel and his 3 Jewish brothers be without being hypocritical in their dealings with the Kings of Babylon? These were first-class, young and intelligent diplomats by all standards so far as all the literature of Babylon was concerned. They knew the implications of the stands they took on instructions received when they collided with the precepts of the God of their ancestors. Do you think they didn’t take their coursework in diplomacy seriously or didn’t understand it in their 3-years orientation program at Nebuch’dnezzar’s palace? Will they have come out as the best students? The only difference between them and the others was their determination and vow to worship the Lord God with all their hearts, souls and mind. They were neither disrespectful nor proud, judging from the gentle, submissive and excellent spirit they exhibited as officials at the King’s palace. Hypocrisy is not wisdom at play or diplomacy so let’s not force them to look alike. I see diplomacy rather as the exhibition of truth under the canopy of love and which should not have any resemblance with hypocrisy.

God expressed His utmost disgust for hypocrisy even before the advent of Christ. Amos 5:21-24 says that God is not interested in our religious festivals, offerings and solemn assemblies if they are loaded with pretence and are just a show off to impress others. He went on to say that even the hymns we sing will be noise in His ears if we don’t put a stop to hypocritical lifestyles. Also referred to as “the yeast of the Pharisees” in Luke 12:1, Jesus also could not understand why some would be two-faced in their dealings with their neighbours. In Luke 22:48, He asked Judas, “Are you betraying the Son of Man with a Kiss?” How on earth would a man appointed by the Lord as an Apostle do such a thing to Jesus? And how can ushering people to the slaughterhouse be done with a Kiss? Heaven doesn’t understand and will never accept hypocrisy today or tomorrow. Therefore, believers who have made false praises or flattery their specialty but harbour ill motives should use the rather sad end of Judas as a lesson and repent.

Judas, at the time, had grown to become a two-faced Apostle because he knew the arguments to the table to appear spiritually sharp anytime Jesus was around but at the same time managed to look good in the eyes of the Pharisees. He disingenuously objected to a divinely inspired act of worship by Mary in John 12:3 when he said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” Judas was the same person who had his hand in the same bowl with Jesus eating on the night He was betrayed and still asking Him who and why someone would betray Him. Meanwhile, at the time, he had already pocketed the thirty shekels of silver to betray Jesus to be killed. Absenting himself from the prayer meeting with his other colleague Apostles at Gethsemane with Jesus, Judas was the one who came in the company with the soldiers to arrest Jesus once he kissed Him. How could one person be Jesus’ boy and a foot-soldier for the Pharisees simultaneously? That is the confusion surrounding hypocritical lifestyles.

Hypocrites are a nuisance to Kingdom-minded goals and a hindrance to the flow of the Spirit. All unrepentant practising hypocrites are, therefore, the venom that needs to be monitored closely with steps taken to evacuate all non-suspecting victims around their line of operations. If you know what you have succeeded in communicating to others about your virtues is not your true self, it is called pretence. Please examine yourself because that is what hypocrisy is all about. The confirmatory test for hypocrisy is a self-conducted one since it involves the intents or motives of people’s actions. 

Is it not scary to learn about the eternal resting place of all hypocrites? Matthew 24:51 reads, “He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Hypocrisy is, therefore, a fake lifestyle enroute to the city with foundations designed for Satan and his cohorts.

Thankfully, there is hope for all who desire to shun hypocrisy and all of its appearances. Apostle Peter, who got rid of some traces of it in his life after Paul confronted him, had this to say in 1 Peter 2:1, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” Thriving on that low-lying ground where sycophancy is bred and cultivated, hypocrisy, especially the “viral” type, can also be very contagious. Let’s, therefore, move to higher ground, so we don’t lose our guard. Keeping faith and trust in God’s word with a quality prayer life is one sure way of warding off hypocritical tendencies. Avoiding needless efforts in pleasing all men instead of focusing on pleasing God will also help all who are determined to do away with hypocrisy. Let us also be modest in our expectations by our ambitions and honesty, and contentment accept and believe in the faithfulness of God to see us through in all our endeavours. 

It is worth noting that when hypocrisy is allowed to thrive, many innocent people become victims and suffer its consequences apart from the hypocrites themselves. Even though Judas hanged himself after becoming remorseful, he had succeeded in creating problems in many households in Jerusalem, caused Peter’s disgrace before little girls, broke the hearts of Mary, the mother of Jesus and shook the foundation of the church at its budding stage. Like Judas, hypocrites usher us to our detractors and serve as a link or bridge between them and us. We must break that bridge and disconnect that link through effective prayers. 

Hypocritical behaviour may appear rewarding temporarily, but the end of Judas Iscariot must be a great lesson for all who are already reaping some of its short-term rewards. Systems that breed it, which have been institutionalised, must open for immediate reforms so the weak and vulnerable who get in there aren’t intoxicated and consumed in it. However, since Heaven wouldn’t take any excuse for indulging in hypocrisy, every effort must be made by all to shun all forms of it in our lives. Jesus answered Judas’ hypocrisy, “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (John 12:4-8). Let us also decisively tell hypocrisy to leave us alone, and it will go in Jesus’ mighty name. Stay blessed.

Written by Pastor James Orhin Agyin

Thanks to the leadership of The Church of Pentecost led by The Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, for the 2022 year’s theme titled “Equipping the Church as an army to possess the nations.” I believe the Spirit-filled presentations on the theme have blessed the entire Christian fraternity. The body of Christ has also been awakened as never before to rediscover its purpose to the nations. Unlike bloody military campaigns in taking over enemy territories, the “Possessing the Nations” agenda has been well understood as the taking over of our society for Christ and subduing them with values and principles of the Kingdom of God. The Bible refers to Satan as the Prince of this world. Any attempt, therefore, to infiltrate the Sin-infested societal settings with Kingdom values is always met with fierce resistance from him. Jesus said in Matthew 12:29, “…how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.” Possessing the nations is an end-time battle cry reminiscent of Israel’s conquest of the nations who, at the time, had embraced all manner of practices contrary to the Kingdom principles.

Indeed, everything about Israel’s military campaigns during the Old Testament period was a shadow of the real spiritual warfare associated with the Christian pilgrimage. However, the New Testament’s prescribed mode of engaging the enemy of the Church is spiritual, even though the battle objectives are similar. Accepting Jesus as the Lord of one’s life is what automatically enrols them as foes of Satan. Christians are, therefore, fighters from the day Christ is invited into their hearts until they join their maker. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 reads, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

Fighting is primarily taking part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons. The word “Fight” naturally sends shivers down the spine of everyone, no matter the opponent’s size, duration and strength. About Christian warfare, Apostle Paul, however, introduces the phrase “Good fight” in I Timothy 6:12a when he said, “Fight the good fight of the faith…”

Fighting can, therefore, be said to be a good one if and only if victory over the opponent is assured. One would expect that parties engaged in a fight would be well-armed and prepared if victory is the goal. Beyond preparation and ammunition, areas that need attention are the Command structure and the positioning of the troops. The battle strategy and the exhibition of professionalism are as vital as the ammunition used for any military operation. Clear orders from the Commander-in-Chief and concise instructions from Commanders are the essential pointers that crystalize the success of military operations besides the ammunition and strategies adopted on the battlefield. Although believers in warfare against the devil are victory-bound, certain actions and inactions by some result in needless casualties on the side of the Church. Using Uriah the Hittite as a case study, the article highlights the roles major functionaries in Christian warfare must play to achieve victory, thereby making the fight with the devil a mere formality in this part of eternity.

In the Spring of 997BCE, Israel mounted a military campaign against the Ammonites. David, their King and Commander-in-Chief and a celebrated fighter from his youthful days chose to remain in Jerusalem even though it was the time Kings went to war. Joab was the commanding officer for that operation. While taking a stroll on his upper terrace, David chanced upon the wife of Uriah, who was bathing. He sent for her, eventually had an affair, and got her pregnant. Sensing danger, David recalled Uriah from the battlefield to come home and spend some time with his wife so the responsibility of the pregnancy could easily be shifted to him. Tried as he did, Uriah respectfully insisted on abstaining from seeing his wife. At one instant, David got him drunk to blur his sense of judgment and soften the tough stance he had taken not to visit home. Even in his drunken state, Uriah wouldn’t badge but kept his ethics standards as a zealous soldier of God’s army. He replied to the King, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my Lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” (2 Samuel 11:11). Uriah’s spiritual consciousness and morale as a fighter for God had reached a crescendo, and no amount of alcoholic toxins or human power would stop him. Uriah has proved that an awakened and equipped soldier of the Cross will defy all odds to lift the banner of Christ high until victory is attained. David then commanded Joab in a letter sent through Uriah to position the latter at the battle’s fiercest and most challenging corner and withdraw every support from him so he will be killed. What the King did also shows that once a heart is determined to sin, the conscience is rendered numb until it is relegated to total hibernation. If not so, how didn’t Uriah’s vehement refusal to take a nap at home and his reason for the same prick David’s conscience? At least, the mere mention of the Ark and Israel should have prevented David from further reducing Israel’s fighting men with Uriah’s assassination. Therefore, Uriah’s death sentence by David amounted to sabotaging the very army he was superintending.

Out of misguided loyalty, Commander Joab obeyed his Commander-in-Chief’s orders and positioned Uriah at the fiercest zone of the battle. David’s letter to Joab read, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” (2 Samuel 11:15). On that fateful day, Uriah was assigned a particular station to do combat for the Lord’s army. He happily took up the challenge because the zeal of the Lord had lifted his morale so high. As the battle at his stationed joint was getting difficult, Joab clandestinely withdrew all the needed support until the sword of the Ammonites killed Uriah. The cause of Uriah’s death was not the sophisticated military strategy of the Ammonites but the carefully planned withdrawal of the support he needed at the very station under David and Joab’s control. Uriah was, in essence, killed by a blow from his own camp and no mere personality but his Commander-in-Chief. Soon after he fell on the battlefield, God was displeased and sent Prophet Nathan to David, saying, “Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.” (2 Samuel 12:9). It is worth noting that Uriah was not the only one who died at his assigned station.

Some other Israeli soldiers perished with him, thereby increasing the casualties in their camp needlessly. Joab may excuse himself for condoning and perpetrating that crime due to the command structures in military operations. However, it must never be forgotten that God was actually the Commander-in-Chief in all of Israel’s combats or, in essence, the battles we fight as believers. Orders received from His human representatives on the field must be subservient to those from God. The “Davids” are those who God has placed in strategic leadership positions within the family, marketplace or Church setting for the advancement of the Kingdom business. When God sent Nathan to David, He reminded him of his lowly estate from his childhood past and how He had elevated him to be Israel’s King. God expects all He lifts to be guided and measured, so their attitude doesn’t negate all the gains expected of them in His vineyard business.

Unfortunately, some allow power and the authority they wield to take the better part of them. The same power God has offered you to bring hope to many is the same authority capable of sending others into the abyss of hopelessness. Excess power always comes with extra luggage. Just a stroke of a pen by the hand of King David was enough to dispatch Uriah the Hittite to join his ancestors before his time. Indeed, the reverent fear associated with authority prevented Uriah from opening the letter describing the mode of his assassination but turned him into the reliable courier of his death sentence. Power is sweet, but let us be careful with the little power we wield today. Jesus used His power to serve and not swerve His constituents during His earthly stay. After his affair with Bathsheba, David had to use his authority to eliminate Uriah because he had difficulty covering up his shame. The selfish use of the little power God gives us tends to sabotage and derail the objectives of His Kingdom business. Even though Uriah was David’s target, many more soldiers fighting for the Lord perished with Uriah, per the messenger’s account to David. As believers, our acts of wickedness against our neighbours affect many more people than one can estimate.

It was, therefore, not surprising the unimaginable price David had to pay for that callous act from that day until he joined his maker. Although God forgave him, the consequences of that one-night stand with Uriah’s wife in his household, Kingdom and confidence as a man after God’s own heart were just unbearable.

The “Joabs” of our time are those who conspire and condone callous acts against colleague soldiers of the Cross on the battlefield. Under the guise of showing loyalty to those in authority, they perpetrate all crimes and throw their Spirit-inspired convictions to the dogs. When Joab realized the only news that would get his boss excited was the gruesome murder of Uriah, his colleague soldier, he positioned him in a corner and withdrew all his helpers from him. Some of the support systems we deprive our colleagues of are but are not limited to logistics, Human Resources, financial resources, Listening ear, encouraging words, intercessory prayers, godly counsel and mentoring regimes, love and kindness. The Bible didn’t say Uriah fell that day because he fought bare-chested or footed, and the Scriptures also didn’t blame Uriah for fighting without his helmet. Uriah suffered due to the withdrawal of the needed support at his corner.

Similarly, putting on the whole armour of God, as spelt out in Ephesians 6:11-18 is a non-negotiable starter as a soldier in the Lord’s end-time army. However, denying colleague combatants the needed support set them up for failure or defeat irrespective of their helmets, belts, boots, shields and swords in their hands. The believers’ full armoury is for their preparation, while their needed support on the battlefield becomes the vehicle from which the missiles can be launched against enemy targets. It was, therefore, not the corner or position Joab placed Uriah that killed him. Uriah started dying when Joab began withdrawing support from him when he needed it most.

The least we can do for each other on the battlefield as we take over the nations is to be that reliable shoulder upon which tired hands can have rest. Unfortunately, while many are equipping the saints, others are busily de-equipping some, endangering them on the battlefield. Joab thought he was putting a smile on David’s face by killing Uriah, but little did he know that he was actually setting the premise for his own destruction by the same David in his last words to Solomon, his son, before giving up the ghost. Concerning Joab, David instructed Solomon, “Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his grey head go down to the grave in peace.” (1 Kings 2:6). So, Benaiah killed and buried him under Solomon’s instruction in verse 34. The “Joabs” must, therefore, learn that if they condone the “Davids” callous acts against their colleagues on the battlefield, they will fall by similar directives even if their “Davids” are out of the scene.

Uriah refused to go home to keep his focus and concentration on the battlefield as an army fighting the Lord’s battle. That kind of posturing comes with many sacrifices, which are seen and appreciated by God alone. The “Uriahs” are the focused believers who have allowed themselves to be consumed with the battle objectives in the Lord’s vineyard business until every foe is vanquished. Like Uriah, they put on the altar their comfort, peace, convenience, safety, health, pleasure, possessions, family life, children, spouses, livelihoods and lives as and when they interrupt the “possessing the nations” agenda. The world sees them as slow, timid or unwise chaps who have lost all their taste buds and appetite for good things. On the battlefield, they are, however, a perfect description of Romans 12:1, which reads, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

If you happen to be a “Uriah” placed in a tight corner with dwindling support from supervisors and colleagues by the day, don’t curse the day you accepted to enrol in the Lord’s end-time army. Wait a minute! You are never a mistake on the battlefield. Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it. And whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39). Don’t also blame yourself for heeding instructions from your field commanders, including the difficult position assigned to you. I have heard the argument as to why God did not miraculously save Uriah from dying to shame David and Joab. I believe God allowed that to be a lesson for those doing the actual combat operations in our New Testament dispensation. Instead of spending precious time on such needless debates, let’s use the time to reflect on how we can offer to help those in dire need of them when the going gets tough. 1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.”

One good lesson for all “Uriahs” is to be observant and pick the early signals anytime some “Davids” begin to behave funny by being overly concerned about their plight. If Uriah asked himself why King David was doing whatever was within his means to get him to go home and spend time with his wife, even to the extent of getting him drunk, the story might have ended differently. It is not bad for superiors or colleagues to be nice and show concern about us. However, staying vigilant with the help of the Holy Spirit is what will help discern the real motives of such superficial kindness. In military parlance, a strategic battle position is a position from which you can fight and use the tactics that suit advancing your strategic interest. In his book titled “The Art of War”, Sun Tzu said, “The skilful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.” When Uriah realized the strange withdrawal of some of his best fighting men from the corner they were fighting, he should probably have acted quick to avert that pending danger. So, the “Uriahs” must take careful notice anytime they see the withdrawal or gradual erosion of all support systems at their disposal. They must act fast and wisely by moving to safe arenas as much as practicable and living the rest under God’s care.

Waiting upon the Lord in prayer would also be helpful in such times. In Acts 23:12-24, Apostle Paul’s nephew and the army commander were those through whom God offered a helping hand and rescued him from the hands of his assassins. Similarly, fasting and prayers led by Esther and Mordecai are what uncovered Haman’s secret plan to annihilate all the Jews throughout the Persian empire in a single day. I am not attacking Uriah’s prayer life by any stretch of the imagination. It is the lessons for our time as soldiers of the Cross I am interested we all glean. After all, when our work is done, we will all join our maker, but not until then, we must fight on as soldiers equipped and possess every territory the Lord expects us to take.

If Uriah’s name is featured in Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1:6 and we are still discussing him today, then, though difficult, he fought a good fight. Even if the needed support systems are withdrawn for your disgrace through the “Joabs”, fight on because the fight to possess the nations is a good fight worthy of sacrificing everything for. Your labour in the Lord is never going to be in vain. Romans 8:18 reads, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Stay blessed, and fight on!

Written by Pastor James Agyin

Introduction

The debate on illegal gold mining (popularly called galamsey in Ghana) is intensifying in recent days. Historically, the term galamsey or illegal Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM) evolved from the corruption of the phrase ‘gather and sell’, which was the description the first foreign industrial large-scale miners gave to the traditional method of gold mining in the Gold Coast era. It became part of our lexicon in the colonial era.

Today, galamsey is a household term for infamous reasons. The wanton destruction of the nation’s forests, water bodies, and arable lands by galamsey operators is in free fall mode and that has become a major concern of every patriotic and godly citizen of the country. Although illegal mining has been in Ghana for a long time, in the last two decades, many institutions including the church, traditional rulers, and government have identified galamsey as a major threat to the ecosystem in the country.

By ecosystem, I mean the place where the community of organisms such as aquatic and terrestrial life is conserved. The ecosystem also hosts matter and energy which are essential for human existence. Yet the diverse life in the ecosystem (biodiversity) is put under extreme stress, even danger, when humans whose prime divine mandate is to protect the ecosystem find themselves incapacitated and helpless as a result of their own careless and destructive acts as is being experienced with the fight against illegal mining in Ghana.

Looking at the complexity of the problem brought on by the galamsey menace, weighted against the backdrop of the recalcitrance of culprits, probably strengthened by the assumed invincibility of their connections, the likely question to pose is whether to continue with the campaign to protect the ecosystem or to back off altogether as vulnerable and helpless spectators? This question should be answered by every Ghanaian as we engage in the debate on the activities of galamsey. 

From reports and government pronouncements, stringent measures have been put in place and practical efforts are seen to have been committed to the fight against illegal mining. What is yet to materialize, though, are tangible results that should manifest in the restoration of the nation’s water bodies and our once cherished arable lands which are now lying heavily ravaged to their former glory. While some think the setback in the fight against galamsey is a political issue others attribute it to economic hardship and should, therefore, be permitted to operate freely, regardless of its ripple effects on the ecosystem. What then is the way forward in the face of these perspectives?

As the debate intensifies, one could easily see the frustration in the face of stakeholders and agencies involved in the fight against illegal mining. The situation, however, is dicey and the debate is inconclusive as there seems to be no clear-cut solution. However, a useful question is, why is the galamsey debate raging without a positive conclusion? We can only answer this question with a deep appreciation of our obligation toward the protection of the ecosystem.

Two Fundamental Facts about the Ecosystem

Ostensibly, many people have not come to terms with two major facts about the ecosystem: Firstly, the ecosystem is God’s creation and must be jealously protected and cared for by humanity as stewards of God. Secondly, the ecosystem is our place of abode, and we also depend on it for our survival and comfort. We become the direct beneficiaries if it is laid in its original state of equilibrium, in which its nature remains desirably intact.   

Thus while this article attempts to explore a few scientific reasons why the ecosystem must be protected for our good, the major focus is to draw our attention to the fact that the ecosystem, biodiversity, or the biosphere, as we may choose to call it, is God’s creation and every godly person has a civic and divine responsibility to protect it. If this becomes very clear to us as a nation with over ninety percent claiming to be religious in one way or the other, then we can succeed in the fight against galamsey.

When people realise that the fight against galamsey is not just a political issue and environmental problem but also a divine mandate for every godly person to fulfil, we shall have a wider patronage of zealous Ghanaians in the fight. Once they clearly understand that they are stewards of God in taking care of the ecosystem, they will not wait for any person to persuade them to do the needful. In this article, I have chosen to use ecosystem, biosphere, and biodiversity more than the term “environment” for a good reason in the light of the reflections in our discussion.

The Lucrativeness of the Gold Business

It is not far-fetched to say that dealing in gold is a lucrative business in the global market and the enthusiasm with which people invest in the gold business has always been part of human tradition. Gold is so expensive that even an ounce of it as of the beginning of October 2022 was over GHC18,000. But unlike other mineral resources such as oil and gas which requires very sophisticated systems and technology for extracting, gold mining is relatively easy and even “unprofessional” people can mine and refine it using improvised devices and methods.

The difference in the process is that while accredited mining companies conduct their activities by strictly following the laid down standard operating procedures in mining, others may choose to operate without recourse to proper procedures and laws on mining. Nonetheless, due to the lucrativeness of the gold business and the use of unscientific means for mining, regulation of illegal mining has become an adverse challenge in Ghana although most people are well informed of the consequences. Having considered the rapid rate at which our ecosystem is being destroyed by illegal gold mining activities, is society losing sight of the fact that we are stewards of God’s creation? We may attempt to answer this question as we progress with the discussion.   

God’s Creation versus the Perception about the Environment

The perception humans have about the ecosystem is consequential to how it is treated. We must know that the ecosystem is God’s creation and not just an environment to be exploited. Some Christian writers argue that there is a distinction between the notion that we live in no more than a physical environment and the fact that everything in this world is the creation of God. The Bible says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1, ESV). For Christians, what is known to be an environment falls within the context of God’s creation and we shall give account to Him on how we treat it. Sadly, the exploitation of God’s creation and injustice to the ecosystem becomes prevalent as long as people consider it only as a physical environment around them and not God’s creation.  

Most Ghanaians claim to be religious and yet the vicious destruction of our ecosystem as a result of illegal gold mining tends to suggest that many of them have chosen to ignore their call as God’s stewards because of the “lucrativeness” in the exploitation of God’s creation. They ignore the fact that we are the custodians and stewards of everything God has created, and it is incumbent upon us to safeguard it against destruction.

Care of Creation as Social and Divine Responsibility

The care of God’s creation is both our social and divine responsibility that must not be underrated. Just as caring for the poor and the vulnerable is a vital responsibility in society, so also must we care for our vulnerable ecosystem as God’s creation. It is incumbent upon us to commit ourselves and resources to care for the ecosystem and the integrity of God’s creation. Our stewardship to protect the dignity of the ecosystem must not be an exclusive responsibility of some specific stakeholders, agencies, or individuals in society. The fight against galamsey must have a bi-partisan approach where we all join hands to find a lasting solution to the problem.

If we understand that the physical environment is God’s creation, then it is not intended for exploitation and society is the right agency to preserve it for Him. We live where the ecosystem is being destroyed under our very eyes by illegal mining activities, why are we helpless in dealing with the situation?  Have we forgotten that care for God’s creation is still a “divine mandate” that must be a fundamental responsibility of all godly people? Our religiosity is deficient if we exempt creation care and tacitly supervise the destruction of the ecosystem. Even though the fight against environmental degradation appears to be insurmountable, no excuse is enough in the sight of God as long as we know that the problem is caused by human beings.  

The earth is the property of God and humans who are created in the image and likeness of God must be passionate about protecting the ecosystem to His glory. The diverse lives in the ecosystem, also known as biodiversity, portray the glory of God and His provision for the comfort of humanity in this world. From the biblical point of view, biodiversity (as well as the waters and the mountains) are not idols to be worshipped, neither are they merely natural resources to be exploited but creation to be cared for as creations of God (Gen. 2:15; Ps. 24:1).

Creation is God’s handiworks that declare His glory as stated by the Psalmist: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Ps. 19:1). This is how Paul puts it: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10, NIV). Creation belongs to God (Deut. 10:14) and He treasures His creation (Gen. 1:31), including humankind. If we understand this, we would not take delight in destroying the environment in any way and for any reason.

The Significance of the Biosphere and Biodiversity

Scientifically, the biosphere or the ecosystem is the whole area that covers the planet earth, including the atmosphere, water bodies, and land that supply life to living organisms. It can be described as a large community of organisms. A related word is the term biodiversity. It involves the variety of life on earth such as plant species, animal species, and micro-organisms with their diverse characteristics.

In God’s wisdom, both the biospheric context of our world and the biodiversity in our environment give us our sense of living and comfort. Humans are both inhabitants of the biosphere and part of the biodiversity. As our place of abode, any negative effect on biodiversity has direct repercussions on the existence of humanity, because it is the habitat of all kinds of organisms as well as “non-living environmental factors” that naturally interact with us to produce energy and nutrients for our survival. The adverse health problems caused by environmental degradation cannot be overemphasized and it is so pronounced that every person is in one way or the other a potential victim. Many of us are quite aware of this and yet we tacitly watch the damage being caused to our environment by human activities.   

The Nature of the Ecosystem

Within the ecosystem as a community of organisms, there are living organisms (the biotic) and non-living organisms (the abiotic) which, as components in the biosphere, interact with or are interdependent on one another for survival or for a specific function. Human beings are part of the biotic component of the biosphere. They are scientifically secondary as well as tertiary consumers which imply that they cannot survive without the existence of other living organisms which tend to become their sources of feeding and survival.

Scientifically, we are heterotrophs; that is, living organisms that cannot produce their own food but depend on other organisms to survive. The layman’s understanding is that we feed on some organisms and survive by depending on them. If they are exterminated, our very existence will be jeopardized. It is good to learn that we are consumers that absolutely depend on the ecosystem and some aspects of the food chain. Indiscriminate destruction of the ecosystem means we are making our very existence uncomfortable. Samuel and Sugden’s (1999:349) statement is crucial here:

Although creatures receive life ultimately from God, human beings are intertwined with all other creatures, and in this sense dependent upon them for life. Yet humans are also called to a special task of caring for creation in a shepherdly manner, since they reflect God’s image in a unique way.

The import of Samuel and Sugden’s statement is that scientifically, human beings are crucial species of the kingdom of life in the community of organisms in the biosphere. We are to study the organisms (both biotic and abiotic) in the ecosystem, understand where we belong, the extent of our stewardship towards their survival and our survival as well, and reflect upon God’s infinite knowledge in providing life-saving organisms for us to depend on them for our survival.

Public Education is Required

Conspicuously, the genuine commitment to protecting the ecosystem may largely depend on our understanding of the fact that we depend on the ecosystem for our survival. Is it not amazing that by God’s provision of biodiversity, we get water, food, medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs, and wood products? We need not belabour the importance of biodiversity to our survival as humans because their usefulness and importance are obvious to every person but, unfortunately, they are all suffering from the recklessness of human activities.

What must be clear here is that our friends, family members, co-workers, and loved ones are direct beneficiaries of the food chains and food webs of the ecosystem as well as the abiotic factors of the biosphere. What happens to humanity if the ecosystem is destroyed completely through human activities? What would be the future of our children if the entire biodiversity in the light of water bodies, beautiful mountains, animals, and plant lives are destroyed indiscriminately? The bottom line, however, is that when this education is made known to people, the fight against galamsey and care for the environment will be a priority for every family without playing politics with it. 

The Love-of-Money Syndrome

The rampant evil in today’s society is attributed to the “love-of-money syndrome” that the Bible talks about. This explains why God’s creation is suffering from sin and reckless activities just for personal gain of humanity. Human activities against the ecosystem are so reckless that no life is spared by their onslaught, even including human life. Humanity has decided to do anything for money and fame. The biblical assertion that “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” (1 Tim. 6:10, NIV) has become the real issue being battled in our generation. Humans exploit the biospheric resources for a living, forgetting that we are also part of consumers of the food web and any damage to the ecosystem has direct repercussions on our very existence.

Therefore, the issue of climate change and pollution of the environment, which are already affecting humanity, including the church, must come as a major concern for every person. God cherishes His creation (Gen. 1:31) and enjoins us to be good stewards of it (Gen. 1:28; 2:15; Ps. 24:1; Jer. 2:7; 1 Pet. 4:10). Until we return to the scriptures for the right application of the values and principles of God’s Kingdom regarding our stewardship of His creation, the quest for rapid riches, by all means, will continue to be an albatross around the neck of our contemporary society. If the eagerness for money and wealth acquisition is the fundamental reason for our grief, then faithful application of God’s Word is the answer to this issue.  

The Intervention of the Ghanaian Clergy in Protecting our Environment

Doing the work as stewards of God’s creation, the church in Ghana has been an advocate of responsible caring for the environment. Periodically, they get involved in environmental care campaigns by planting trees, cleaning our communities, and engaging stakeholders for public education on the need to protect the environment from destruction.

On 14^th October, 2022, the Ghanaian clergy took their stewardship to another patriotic and glorious level by visiting some galamsey sites in the Eastern Region of Ghana to survey the extent of damage to the environment. The concern of the clergy is that as stewards of God’s creation, they cannot be idle while their Father’s creation is being destroyed. As clergy, they are well informed of the implications (both scientific and spiritual) that the destruction of the environment has on the existence of humanity.

The initiative of the clergy in touring some of the affected areas in which the environment has been destroyed by illegal mining activities is commendable. It is, therefore, recommended that all patriotic and godly citizens in Ghana put aside their diverse expediencies to support the cause of protecting the ecosystem. The move of the clergy suggests to us that we must rise beyond the usual blame-game syndrome and collectively adopt pragmatic measures to stem the tide of our invaluable ecosystem.  

The Prayer Factor in the Fight against Galamsey

Prayer simply means communication with God. As long as we believe that the world is created by God, we go by the conviction that our effort about solving problems in the world must also have recourse to God through prayers for a pragmatic solution. When COVID-19 started the religious leaders in Ghana prayed and there is evidence to show the extent of God’s intervention in the situation. Whenever there are national crises those who know their God would first cry unto Him for His intervention as they look for other means of addressing the situation. It does not mean that the prayer factor of the saints should be a hindrance to the strategies and approaches of those who are perceived to have pragmatic solutions to the problem.

The visit of the clergy to the galamsey sites has triggered a new strand of debate as to whether prayer is necessary at this stage of our national crisis. But prayer into the galamsey crisis is, indeed, necessary on the same score that we prayed with the advent of the COVID-19 and the Lord heard our prayers and spared our lives with the scanty resources we have in this country to combat the spread of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, during that time, some people scorned the church for praying, with the argument that pandemics are so serious that we must not respond to them with prayers. Sadly, some people feel anything about God should always be relegated to the background and allow humans to find their own solutions. The Bible says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes” (Ps. 118:9, NIV) and it goes further to question: “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27, NIV).

Thus the prayer factor in the fight against galamsey should not be relegated to the background. The strong conviction is that prayer must also be part of solving human problems bearing in mind that pragmatism should not be at the expense of the spirituality of any faith community. Jesus’ statement that “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Lk. 1:37, NIV) is one of the scriptural passages from which we draw our convictions. The concept of prayer has not expired because it is not a human invention; it is divine.   

Diverse Approach to Issues

The blatant fact is that every person approaches a situation based on his or her values, convictions, and belief system. Every genuine Christian believes in the potency of prayer in any problem, irrespective of how others think about the situation. In biblical times, Moses prayed, and the Red Sea parted to make way for Israel to walk on dry land (Ex. 14:21-24). This may seem weird to secularists and ungodly people but those with a spiritual lens will not struggle to accept it as the gospel truth. God still does signs and wonders in the affairs of humans and those of us who believe attest to God’s miraculous interventions in various situations.

Another simple response to the debate is that there is a national crisis confronting us as a people and we need solutions from any person who thinks to be patriotic, godly, and apt with the needed expertise to be part of addressing the situation.  Having been monitoring the debate, the good thing is that we are all on the same page looking for a solution to the problem so we should move beyond name-calling, accusations, and counter-accusations and come on board with a pragmatic approach to prudently address the galamsey situation in the country.

Thus the involvement of the clergy also has both spiritual and psychological impacts on the fight against galamsey. The clergy has many adherents in their churches and when church members see the active involvement of their pastors in the fight against galamsey, it can send a strong signal to them about the seriousness of the matter. The clergy’s initiative also suggests to us that both divinely and scientifically, there is every reason for the church to include the preservation and care for the ecosystem in its diaconal responsibility.

By extension, the church may also consider eco-theology in its leadership training and discipleship activities so that Christians will be well-educated on the need for managing and preserving the ecosystem in harmony with God’s stewardship mandate for His children. If providing healthcare to people, building schools to educate people, and establishing agricultural institutions are vital in society; then the church should take full responsibility for the restoration of our biosphere to its original glory for our good. The protection of our water bodies, maintenance of the ecosystem, and protecting the creation of God from destruction must be an integral part of our mission as godly people.

Conclusion

We must come to accept the reality that the biosphere is the context for all we do and our being as we admit the fact that God has entrusted His creation into the hands of humankind (Gen. 1:28; 2:15). The corruption of society and the evil emanating from the love of money must not be allowed to prevail over our mandate as stewards of God. It is good to remind ourselves that some people are still having the good intention to genuinely address the corruption in society if we support them.

We should not be like the prophet Elijah who thought that all the prophets of God had been killed by Ahab and his wife, Jezebel (1 Kgs. 18:22) when in fact God had “…reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him” (1 Kgs. 19:18, BSV; cf. Rom. 11:4). As people lament over corruption in our system, there is a need for the few corrupt-free people in society to shine their light and lead the rest to cause a massive transformation that we so desire and yearn for.

That is why living by the standards of God will put us in a good position to love our neighbors as ourselves as well as take proper care of God’s creation, and stand against anything that threatens the peaceful existence of humanity. Thus if society clearly understands the scientific and divine responsibilities towards the care for the ecosystem, there will not be apathy in our fight against the destruction of the environment for personal gain.

The final submission, however, is that the galamsey debate may not be conclusive as yet but it is hoped that addressing it from both scientific and biblical points of view will bring us significant progress. Since we have all admitted the fact that the destruction of the ecosystem is caused by human activities, it is good to psyche ourselves that the onus lies on us to avert the trend and save the biosphere for our good. Finally, let us find a common ground in the debates about the galamsey issue and join hands to address the situation, it is not as insurmountable as it is perceived to be.

Vincent Anane Denteh (Rev.)

Email: vadentcop@gmail.com

0555874497

© 2022

On May 13, 2021, Obed Eli Aglidza, 31, was arrested by the New Ayoma Police for attacking and robbing a mobile money vendor at Likpe Kukurantumi in the Oti Region of Ghana. Two weeks later, he was sentenced by a Jasikan Circuit Court to 12 years imprisonment with hard labour. This was after considerable evidence, including a handbag containing a specified amount of money and the mobile phone of the victim, was obtained and presented in court to implicate him.

As he was being whisked away in a police vehicle, a visibly shaken Obed could not hide his tears and cast a demeanour of one who had learnt his lesson, albeit the hard way. He would be spending the next decade of his life confined in a facility. And to turn back time, then, as he had wished, was in no mortal man’s capacity to grant.

Incarceration or imprisonment is a form of punishment one undergoes after being sentenced by the courts for committing a crime. It brings in its wake, limitations in the enjoyment of one’s personal liberties. In prison, almost everything one does may be regimented. There are scheduled times for sleeping, eating, etc., all done under the strict surveillance of a prison guard, who is tasked with locking the convict up at the stipulated time thereby curtailing his or her liberties.

Imprisonment, however, tends to be unbearably harsh and serves as double punishment when there is no access to basic essentials like decent food, toiletries, beddings, first aid, spacious cells, and a hygienic environment to retain one’s dignity are lacking.

So, we can understand why first-time convicts like Obed, who are bound to end up in this predicament, become downcast at the thought of it.  A lot goes through the mind; they begin to think about the deplorable conditions they will be subjected to while at the facility and cannot help but imagine how uncomfortable life will be.  

“A Den of Thieves”

For most Ghanaians (most people actually), a prison is a place where criminals are locked up and the keys thrown away, never to be seen again. For them, prison camps with inhumane conditions are the ideal habitats for lawbreakers, criminals, felons, offenders and social miscreants.

In most cases, when people seek redress for a wrong done to them, they pray the court to incarcerate the culprit as a way of exacting justice for the harm caused them. When this happens, they leave the court premises feeling relieved that their offender had “gotten what they deserved.”

This is why for most of us anytime the word “prison” comes to mind, we only think about punishment. And this is what shapes our image of the prison camp as a place of doom for the “devil’s incarnates”; a mini version of “hell” (so to speak).

With such a mindset, it is not surprising that most people believe that prisoners do not deserve anything good, so we deprive them of many things, and turn a blind eye to their plights. After all, bad people need to be disciplined and not “pampered” for wrongdoing.

It, therefore, goes without saying that the sorry state of Ghanaian prisons in our estimation is exactly how we expect the den of thieves and wrongdoers to be – overcrowded, unhygienic and with very poor living conditions – to teach lawbreakers a bitter lesson while deterring others who may be entertaining the idea of following in their footsteps.

For this very reason, the Ghanaian does not regard prisons as part of society. No! Especially since, for obvious reasons, prison camps are normally sited in the outskirts of towns and cities – usually in the middle of nowhere.

Although this might be a very legitimate way of looking at the prison system from a victim’s – someone who has suffered from the activities of miscreants – perspective, it is important to look at the bigger picture by considering why the prison system was created in the first place, what its mandate is, and how it can be more effective in meeting the security needs of the society.

Preserving Social Peace & Public Safety

Social peace is a reality in human existence. In a country with disparate people as ours, there is the need for tolerance in promoting peaceful coexistence and social cohesion. To safeguard the peace we have, rules and regulations are put in place to put everyone in check and settle disputes and conflicts that may arise from disagreements and social tensions. However, as it is common, whenever one flouts these generally accepted rules and regulations, the culprit is dealt with for disturbing the peace. This is very necessary in keeping the peace of society. The act of going against the generally accepted rules of conduct as enshrined in the constitution of Ghana is what is usually referred to as a crime. For this reason, anyone, whether young or old, who goes against these rules threatens the peace we enjoy as a people and, therefore, ought to be taken out of the society temporarily, with the aim of reforming them, so that the rest of society can go about their life in peace and with a sense of security. The process of ensuring a successful disintegration of evildoers from society is what informed the establishment of the Prisons Service as part of the Criminal Justice System.

The Criminal Justice System

The Criminal Justice System (CJS) is a network of government and private agencies intended to manage accused and convicted criminals. The criminal justice system is designed to deliver “justice for all.” This means protecting the innocent, convicting criminals, and providing a fair justice process to help keep order across the country. Ultimately, it exists to keep citizens safe. How? By ensuring that perpetrators of social wrongs are taken out of society, whipped in line, and restored after a stipulated period.

The three key actors in the CJS are the Police Service, the Judiciary and the Prisons Service. The Police Service arrests the lawbreaker and processes them for a fair trial, after which, if the accused is found guilty of the alleged crime, they would be sentenced and handed over to the Prisons Service for safe custody until the set time for their release per the court’s ruling.

As was in Obed’s case, he was arrested by the New Ayoma Police and arraigned before a court (judiciary). After the trial, he was found guilty of street robbery and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was then handed over to the Prisons Service to ensure his custody during the specified period.

For a better understanding, I would liken the CJS process to the treatment process of the Coronavirus. First, an individual who shows symptoms of the viral disease goes for testing. After it is confirmed that he or she has the virus, they are taken to an isolation centre to be treated and restored after recovery. The CJS is also supposed to work in a similar way, where the individual who has been sentenced for disturbing the peace of society is isolated to be rehabilitated after some time – in the case of Obed, after 12 years, or less; on grounds of good behaviour.

This means that the end process of the CJS is always to restore the culprit to society and not to cut them off completely. So, it is important to understand that the prisons, albeit situated in the outskirts of town, are pretty much an extension of society. Prisoners are incarcerated, with the ultimate objective of reforming them to conform to acceptable norms before their social reintegration. This is why most prisoners serve stipulated terms, with the view of them being reintegrated into society. So, most prisoners come back! Unfortunately, that is not the view of the Ghanaian, and this is evident in our attitudes towards the various prison camps in the country.

Unlike a COVID-19 patient who would only be allowed to rejoin society after testing negative, Obed would rejoin society after serving his prison term, whether he has been cured of his “criminal tendencies” or not.

This is the truth, whether reformed or not, most prisoners come back – sometimes sooner than we think. After serving their terms they are reintegrated into society. A key reason why the state in which they return should be of utmost concern to us all. Therefore, if the prison system is to be effective, we must pay closer attention to our prisoners; most especially, to places where they are confined during their period of incarceration and be interested in what happens there.

This is why we must change our perception of the Prisons Service as a “den for criminals” and rather see it as a “hospital for lawbreakers.” We can achieve this by gaining a better understanding of how the prison system works. This way, we would appreciate the role it plays in preserving the peace we enjoy in the country and, ultimately, see the need to resource it.

The Ghana Prisons Service

The Ghana Prisons Service is established by article 205 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana as part of the Criminal Justice System. It contributes to the maintenance of public safety by ensuring the safe custody of criminals convicted by the courts to terms of imprisonment. It has as its motto these three keywords which the service strives to embody: Vigilance, Humanity and Fortitude.

Currently, the Service manages a total number of 44 prison facilities with a total holding capacity of 9,945. They comprise one maximum-security prison (located at Ankaful), one medium-security prison (in Nsawam), seven central prisons, 14 local prisons, seven female prisons and 12 agricultural settlement prison camps. The service also mans a Juvenile facility for under-aged children and a Special facility for convicted persons with disabilities.

The Chief Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, CSP Courage Atsem, revealed in an interview that, these facilities, mostly congested and in deplorable conditions, house over 13,000 inmates including pregnant women, nursing mothers and babies. The facilities are also homes to over 1,600 unconvicted prisoners. Unconvicted prisoners, also known as remand prisoners, are persons undergoing trial for an alleged crime but have not been granted bail.

The corporate mission of the Service, that is, the reason for its existence, is to ensure the safe custody, humane treatment, reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of these inmates to make them responsible, productive and law-abiding citizens and to foster public safety.

The Service exists to guarantee public safety and preserve the peace of society. It does this by ensuring that persons convicted of crimes are taken away from society to maintain peace. While in their custody, prisoners are to be taken care of and provided the best humane conditions to support their reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration process.

The reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners are necessary aspects of the prison system to reduce recidivism (re-offending), where the offender goes back into society and perpetuates more sinister acts that would lead them to be reconvicted. It also ensures the development of the skills of prisoners through vocational training, moral and formal education so that they would become responsible members of society upon their release.

At present, the Service is fraught with a myriad of challenges that hamper it from discharging its duties effectively and adequately. Whether or not it can effectively carry out its functions has a direct impact on the maintenance of public safety in the country. This is because when a prison system simply houses inmates and does not reform them, prisons cease to be correctional facilities and become detention camps where potential criminals are groomed. This is why the challenges of the Prisons Service must be viewed as a national security issue and given all the attention it deserves.

Challenges Militating Against Reformation of Prisoners

The challenges facing the Ghana Prisons Service are enormous, mostly interlinked, and require a substantial amount of resources to solve. Some of these challenges are as follows:

Poor and Inadequate Infrastructure: In 1850, the country had prison cells in four forts, and these held a maximum of 129 prisoners each. In 1948, there were 29 prison establishments all over the country. Today, there are 44 prisons in the country. Out of this, only a few were purposefully built as prisons. The majority were inherited from businesses or government entities –many dating to colonial times. The Yeji camp prison, for instance, used to be an abandoned clinic; Winneba prison used to be a warehouse dating back to colonial times; Koforidua prison, an armoury from the World War period; the Kumasi prison was built in 1946 and the prison at Kenyasi and Dua Yaw Nkwanta were handed to the Prisons Service by the Ministry of Agriculture. The gift of land at Kenyasi came with a solitary structure which the Service had to secure and eventually expand to house prisoners. This is just to mention a few of the 40 prisons inherited from businesses and other governmental agencies. Some of the Prisons in the northern part of Ghana are even built from mud.

Congestion: The fact that many of Ghana’s prisons were not purpose-built is a contributory factor to the acute congestion in the prisons today. Kumasi prison has a maximum holding capacity of not more than 450, but it currently holds 2,500 prisoners. Nsawam prison was initially built to hold about 850 prisoners but currently holds 3,400 inmates. This situation is not uncommon in the other prison establishments around the country. Spatial challenges, as well as a dearth of capacity, inhibit effective classification and treatment programmes—leading to a situation where different categories of prisoners as well as remand prisoners, in many instances, are lumped together in the same space. This lack of effective classification and treatment has the tendency to turn Ghana’s prisons into places where less hardened prisoners can receive training in crime by association with more hardened criminals, and upon their release potentially practice their newly acquired skills on society. This is because of the contagious nature of crime. This could be avoided if the service is well resourced. If well resourced, Ghana’s prisons can potentially be world-class centres of reformation and rehabilitation—thus fulfilling the legal mandate that set it up.

Poor Feeding: On Friday, May 21, 2021, inmates at the Sekondi Central Prisons in the Western Region staged a protest against what they described as ‘the small quantity and poor quality of food’ served them daily. The inmates, therefore, boycotted the food served them amidst chanting of war songs in the prison yard. They indicated that they were also human beings and for that matter deserved to be served with quality and delicious food. A prison official in an interview with journalists explained that the government of Ghana for years has been paying GHc1.80 per inmate for their daily feeding. To add salt to injury, the official further explained that the facility, which has a holding capacity of 400, currently houses more than 600 inmates. “So you can imagine if we have to feed over 600 inmates with that amount?” he quizzed. Having had enough, the inmates expressed their displeasure about the small quantity and poor quality of their daily food rations and their poor living conditions. The feeding situation is the same in all the other facilities in the country.

Diseases: The high level of congestion and poor conditions in the prisons due to acute lack of resources has turned the prison environment into incubators of diseases. Research shows that communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS are very prevalent in Ghana’s prisons because of the above-mentioned reason. These diseases accounted for 29 of the 86 deaths recorded in all 43 inmates holding establishments in 2013. Officers, their families and the general public also are at risk of contracting these communicable diseases. Since the officers work in close contact with the inmates and live with their families in communities outside the walls of the prison, any infection contracted can easily be passed on to their families. Visitors to the prisons could also be infected with the diseases of prisoners and transmit them to the general public. Discharged inmates go back to the community and could be a source of transmission of diseases. From the above, it can be argued that prison health is a public health concern.

‘Project Efiase’

The challenges facing the Ghana Prisons Service as already stated are enormous and require a lot of resources to address. And the truth is we cannot only depend on the government to do it all. Taking all these into consideration, the Prisons Service Council took a proactive step and introduced “Project Efiase,” an initiative to create awareness about prison conditions and raise funds from corporate institutions and individuals to improve the conditions of prisons and transform them into reformation centres. Through this project, the Council seeks to educate the public about the current state of its prisons and to sensitise them about the importance of the Ghana Prisons Service to national development.

But why do Ghanaians need to take their Prisons Service more seriously—funding and resourcing it so it can achieve its mandate?

“A Hospital for Lawbreakers”

If we can all agree that the reformation of prisoners is the essence of the Prisons Service, then we should rather see it as a hospital where lawbreakers are taken for treatment and restored to society. If this is indeed the case, then it begs the questions – how would you want a hospital to look like? In what conditions would you want hospital patients to be treated?

Do not get me wrong. I am not saying that wrongdoers must not be punished, they should be. However, we must have the understanding that the punishment lies in curtailing their liberties and not by creating an inhabitable environment for them to live in. In the end, they would come back and live with us, so we ought to focus on getting them reformed so that they do not come out worse than they were admitted.

Let us also remember that the incarceration of lawbreakers is an intervention to protect public peace and safety. We are the beneficiaries of this system after all. This is why we must not only focus on who they are as criminals but prioritise how we can shape them during the period of incarceration. Until then, we may seem to be winning the battle, but losing the war.

We must begin to explore workable ways to resource the Prisons Service. We need to improve infrastructure and do our best to make the work of prison officials easier and more bearable.

This is why the criticisms levelled against The Church of Pentecost for putting up more of such facilities are unfounded. The construction of standard prisons, which the Church refers to as “correctional facilities,” directly or indirectly solves the challenges of congestion, poor infrastructure, and poor health conditions. Instead of the backlash, the Church should be supported to do more to help deal with this infrastructure deficit. Furthermore, it depicted how little people understood the Criminal Justice System and the importance of the Prisons Service in the process – It was indeed a typical Ghanaian’s way of looking at the prisons service.

“Who Watches The Watchman?”

The phrase ‘Who Watches the Watchman?” has received negative connotations in recent times. However, I am borrowing this phrase to highlight the crucial role prison officials play, and why we ought to seek their welfare.

Prison officers are personnel who ensure safe custody of the persons who have been convicted for wrongdoing. They spend more time with these persons, some of whom have been convicted of murder; all so that we can enjoy our peace. Essentially, it is a high-risk job. Here is a narrative that gives you an idea of what they have to deal with from time to time:

On Wednesday, February 4, 2014, inmates at the Kumasi Central Prison allegedly set parts of the prison on fire to escape. Unfortunately for the inmates, luck ran out on them and their plans were foiled when security was immediately beefed up to prevent them from escaping. The situation turned violent with some of the inmates hurling stones and other dangerous objects at the security personnel who had immediately gathered at the prisons to maintain sanity. You can imagine the worse possible outcome had these persons succeeded in their attempt.

This is why prison officials deserve to be supported at all cost. Often when charitable groups and churches visit the prisons, the focus is always to support the inmates, forgetting that these persons are only in safe custody because of the selfless acts of the prison officials. So next time you visit any prison facility, do not just donate items to the prisoners, make donations to the officials as well and offer words of encouragement and appreciation to them for the great work they are doing, often with the little or no support.

Beyond that, let us always remember prison officials in our prayers and promote their welfare. As they watch over our prisoners, we should also watch over them through prayers and ensuring that they are always motivated to serve.

Prisoners As Human Resources

A huge chunk of our human resources can be found in the various prison facilities in the country. According to the 2018 Annual Report of the Ghana Prisons Service, the age range of 18 to 35 years constituted 80.9% of the total population of prisoners in the country. Most of these persons could be of good use to society if they are given skills training. We should stop looking at them as discards, and rather see them as human resources who can also contribute to national development. More so when we know that not all prisoners are criminals. Indeed, there have even been some cases where an inmate is proven innocent (not culpable) after years of incarceration. So anyone could end up there; and CSP Atsem concurs: “It is perhaps a truism to say that the prisons are potentially the second home for all of us as you never know when you can find yourself at the wrong side of the Law.”

Again, let us not forget that in our prison facilities are babies (with their nursing mothers), who through no fault of theirs find themselves in such environments. This is why we must approach the prison system differently and see how we can augment the government’s efforts in promoting the welfare of inmates and ensuring that their potentials are tapped for the greater good.

The Church’s Role in Reforming Prisoners

A multi-purpose prison facility funded and constructed by The Church of Pentecost at Ejura in the Ashanti Region was commissioned on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, and handed over to the Ghana Prisons Service.

The facility, described as one of a kind in the country, was constructed at the cost of GHS 3,297,139.81. The facility, a fully furnished three dormitory block with the capacity to accommodate 300 inmates, also comprise an administration block, a chapel (which also serves as a classroom), football pitch, baptistry, modern washrooms, mechanised borehole, offices, infirmary, workshops and other auxiliary facilities, was jointly commissioned by the Interior Minister, Hon. Ambrose Dery; the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, and the Chief of Ejura, Barima Osei Hwedie II.

This was one of many facilities that the Church has envisioned to set up as part of efforts to help solve some of the challenges facing the Service.

It is also refreshing to note that on Saturday, October 22, 2022, the President of the Republic of Ghana, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would commission a second multipurpose facility constructed by The Church of Pentecost to be handed over to the Prisons Service for safe custody and effective reformation of prison inmates.

With the in-depth analysis made so far, I would find it very unfortunate if anyone still holds the view that the Church’s effort to support the Service is a misplaced one. If possible, other churches with the wherewithal to improve the infrastructure for the Service can also help. Maybe, aside donating food items, we can also look at doing more to help improve their living conditions. For example, in addition to visiting prisoners occasionally to offer them handouts, we could adopt cells. That is to say that a church or corporate organisation could adopt a prison cell where it would make monthly stipends to support their feeding and general welfare.

Ensuring an Effective Reformation Process for Prisoners

Although the effort by the Church in providing food items and putting up infrastructure for prisoners is lauded and encouraged, I would also like to note that the Church also bodes a help that no other organisation could provide in reforming prisoners, which is the ultimate goal of the prison system.

Indeed, the Church (Body of Christ) possesses the message that can completely transform lives for the better. This the Church must not take for granted. It is important that in demonstrating their benevolence, they do not forget the real power they possess to change the lives of the prisoners for the better. For a person to be truly reformed, he must first be regenerated, that is be “born again.”

The phrase “born again Christian” is frequently misinterpreted.  Its meaning, when looking at it from a primary reference, is not about physical birth, but about experiencing spiritual rebirth (or renewal). It is an expression used by many Protestants to define the moment or process of fully accepting faith in Jesus Christ. It is when the teachings of Christianity and Jesus become real, and the “born again” acquire a personal relationship with God.

The term originates from an incident in the New Testament in which the words of Jesus were not understood by a Jewish Pharisee, Nicodemus (John 3).

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” – John 3:3-5, NIV

The phrase “born again” applies to people who have accepted Jesus as their Saviour or Redeemer. The convicted soul realises that he/she is a sinner (Romans 3:23) and that the penalty for that sin is death (Romans 6:23). To rectify the circumstances, God sent His only Son to die in their place, to take the punishment for sin (Romans 5:8). After Jesus’ death, He arose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6) and He provides the blessing of salvation. Each person has the choice to receive or reject God’s gift through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and experience the new birth (John 3:1-8). Whoever follows Jesus as Christ, the Son of God, and has accepted His gift of life can be called Christian. That is where the journey of rebirth begins. The rebirth process is perfectly captured in Ezekiel 36:26-27:

²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

So, being born again is having a change or transformation of the soul (heart) by the work of God’s Spirit. One’s soul is the part of our being that consists of these three: the mind (or its disposition), emotions (feelings), and our will (what we determine). This spiritual makeover when we become born-again is a change in the way we think, the way we manage our emotions, and the choices we make by our will.

This must lead to the reformation and rehabilitation process of the convicted criminals. A convicted person must accept responsibility for the wrong he or she has done and acknowledge the wrong done. They must also be ready to repent and change from their old ways. The Church has the gospel message that can convict their hearts and lead them on the journey of reformation and restoration to society. Therefore, as the Church donates food items and infrastructure to prisoners, it must also bear in mind that they have a crucial role to play in preparing prisoners for the process of reformation and rehabilitation.

This is why The Church of Pentecost must again be commended for the multifaceted nature of the prison facilities they have constructed and their approach to the reformation of prisoners. In the facility, they have constructed a chapel, which would focus on regeneration (working on the hearts of the prisoners). The church building also serves as a classroom where prisoners would be given formal education (working on the mind). The facility also has a workshop to train prisoners in skills acquisition (working on their hands) so that they would be able to work to support themselves and become responsible members of society when reintegrated.

Conclusion

This article is meant to throw some light on the Ghana Prisons Service and why we must not take it for granted. I believe that one of the reasons why the Prisons Service has not received the desired special attention is due to the lack of understanding of the role it plays in society. From this article, you have realised that the prison system is an extension of society and therefore must not be disregarded.

To be fair, I believe that some sections of the public who are opposed to the CoP’s initiative to construct prisons, do not seem to have a problem with the project per se, but with the reason why a “Christian denomination” should be engaged in this. The Church has embarked on this project because the Prisons Service needs our help, and we cannot leave all of its problems to be borne wholly by the government. Should we neglect them, we would do so at our peril. It is for this same reason that “Project Efiase” was initiated to solicit funds from every Ghanaian in the quest to improve the conditions of prisons in Ghana – the holding facilities being put up by The Church of Pentecost is exactly what Project Efiase is all about.

“The prisons administration appreciates the intervention by The Church of Pentecost in providing these modern camp prisons which would reinforce our rehabilitation efforts. As a matter of fact, the prisons personnel generally commend the Church [for this] and hope that other religious bodies and organisations would emulate their example,” Mr Atsem said, adding that “People are entitled to their own opinions, but only those of us in the Service really understand the great impact of these interventions [of the church] on the operations of the Ghana Prisons Service.”

However, it must also be said that in addition to the aid and generous acts, the Church also has a duty to minister to the hearts of prisoners through the ministration of the gospel message of Christ for a definite and a more effective reformation process.

In sum, dear Reader, when you think about the Prisons Service, think about Obed Eli Aglidza. Today, the streets of New Ayoma are a lot safer because of his incarceration. Mobile vendors in the community can now go about their duties more freely because they have one less street robber to deal with. However, we must also bear in mind that Obed would not be locked up forever, he would come back one day. In what state should he return – reformed or hardened? Certainly, I believe most of us would choose the former, but that is not for us to say, but to put in place the needed measures that would facilitate it.

Written By Prince Kojo Asare (prince.asare@thecophq.org)

Globally, October is recognised as Cybersecurity awareness month. 2022 may have offered some respite from the previous year’s rush to enable a remote and hybrid world, but the increased use of personal devices also left security professionals with even more endpoints to manage and secure. As illustrated by breaches like the March 2022 attack on Shields Health Care Group that impacted two million people and the April ransomware attack that became a national emergency for the Costa Rican government, we all need to be cyber defenders to protect what matters.

The FBI describes the impact and losses from cybercrime as “staggering,” with over $4 billion in losses in 2020 alone. The 2020 Internet Crime Report includes information from 791,790 complaints of suspected internet crime—an increase of more than 300,000 complaints from 2019 Cybercrime is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. Perpetrators behind these crimes range from individuals looking for easy profit to hostile nation-states and terrorist organisations.

The first form of Cyber-attack took place in Genesis 27. This is the story of Jacob and Esau. When Jacob presents himself as Esau to Isaac, his blind dying father, to gain his birthright blessing- he basically performed what today we call an act of Identify Theft. 

With the prevalence of computerised business systems in stores, banks, and government offices, this increase in computer-related crime raises concerns for privacy and safety.

The Bible prophesied that “in the last days perilous times [times of stress] will come” (2 Timothy 3:1). It describes some of these stressors as men being “lovers of money,” unloving, slanderers, brutal, and treacherous (verses 2–4). Computer crimes cause much stress to the victims. Those who perpetrate such crimes while sitting safely behind a computer screen may not fully comprehend—or simply do not care about—the devastating impact on the lives of the recipients of their evil actions.

The growing prevalence of cybercrime is evidence of what happens when people without a godly worldview acquire certain technical skills. We need people with solid Christian ethics involved in these fields to use these potentially dangerous skills to pursue a higher calling, one in which they embody the exhortation in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

I will offer 3 Tips for you to consider.

Tip #1: Use A Strong And Protective Password Manager

What is a password manager, you may be asking? Password managers are encrypted databases that typically use one complex password to safeguard all other passwords. They can then help generate complex passwords for each account without you having to memorise them all. According to Microsoft, more than 80 percent of breaches stem from weak or compromised login credentials, so it is more important than ever to use a strong, unique password for each account.

Tip #2: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication Everywhere Possible

Even with the growing use of password managers, there is more that you can do to keep your accounts and information secure. Multifactor authentication adds an extra locked door of security to your account. It comes in many different forms, ranging from a code that arrives in an email or text message to a secure token tied to your account. However, Security.org states that 13 percent of account hacks were those using two or multifactor authentication. Building up your layers of security will close that gap.

Tip #3: Be Wary Of What You Click

In today’s world, there are more phishing attacks than ever before. One of the most common occurrences is receiving an email that looks as though it is from a reliable company or professional superior. It is more important than ever to hover your mouse pointer over links in an email and to check the sender’s email address. If anything looks suspicious, play it safe and get a trusted person’s opinion or delete it to be safe. Also, some email providers (Gmail and Outlook are two) have phishing and spam tags that automatically report the issue for investigation.

Everyone has a role to play in cybersecurity, and when we learn together, we are more secure together. 

Written by Elder Raymond Agyemang (Cyber Security Professional)