The Leadership of the Religious Community in Ghana has appealed to the Ghanaian electorate to critically observe all safety protocols that have been put in place at the registration centres of the ongoing Voters Registration Exercise to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
“In this era of the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge citizens to critically observe the laid down procedures at the Registration centres to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in this period of the registration.
“We want to state that all those who go to the registration centres must do so with their face masks on and observe social distancing at all times,” they stated.
The eminent religious leaders, however, cautioned all citizens of Ghana to desist from any attempt to serve as guarantors for anyone who is not known to them, saying, “As citizens of the nation, it is our duty to do what is right and thereby uphold the credibility of our voters register.”
This was contained in a letter dated July 1, 2020, sent to all Religious Bodies in the country on the Election 2020 Voters Registration Exercise.
The letter was signed by the Most Rev. Dr Paul Boafo (Chairman, Christian Council of Ghana), for and on behalf of Religious Leaders in Ghana, with an endorsement of Most Rev. Philip Naameh (President, Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference), Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso (President, Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council), and His Eminence Osman Nuhu Sharubutu (National Chief Imam).
Others are Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams (Chairman, National Association of Christian and Charismatic Churches), Bishop Dag Heward Mills (President, Charismatic Bishops Conference), Muhammad bin Salih Ameer (Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission), Apostle Samuel Teye Doku (President, Council for Independent Churches) and Bishop Sylvester Borkumah (President, Council for African Instituted Churches).
Referring to the June 25, 2020 ruling by the Supreme Court of Ghana, which directed the Electoral Commission (EC) and all its stakeholders to comply with Articles 42 and 45 of the 1992 Constitution and Cl 126, Public Election (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, the eminent religious leaders observed that the ruling implies that the Electoral Commission has been given the mandate to conduct the Voters Registration Exercise for the 2020 General Elections.
They thereby entreated qualified Ghanaian voters to go out to exercise their civic responsibility and register. “In addition, we implore all citizens to abide by the ruling of the court and go to the registration centres with their passports or National Identification cards only. For those who do not have those documents, we encourage them to ask their fellow citizens to vouch for them.
The Religious Leaders thanked all stakeholders for following due process and for accepting the ruling of the court.
They seized the opportunity to call on all Christian and Muslim leaders whose premises will be used for the Registration exercise to cooperate with the EC officials and ensure that safety measures are carried out at their premises.
“We, the religious leaders in Ghana wish to assure all Ghanaians that we shall continue to pray for the nation and our leaders and shall in all matters of national interest remain non-partisan,” they assured, adding, “Let us continue in prayer as we seek total healing for our nation and the entire world from the Coronavirus.”
The ongoing Voters Registration Exercise which started on Tuesday, June 30, will end on Thursday, August 6, 2020. The first phase ended with about 2.2m Ghanaians being registered.
PENTECOST NEWS.