The Church of Pentecost in the Bolgatanga area over the weekend embarked on a peace walk, largely to call on various stakeholders and citizens to be civil and peacefully conduct themselves in the run-up to the 2024 general elections.
As part of the walk, leaders and members of the church wielded placards, some of which read “together for peace”, “political opponents are not enemies”, and “seek for the peace of Ghana”, in a bid to drum home the need to protect the relative peace being enjoyed in Ghana.
The walk saw them march through the principal streets of Bolgatanga on Saturday, September 21, 2024. It later converged at the Church of Pentecost, Bolgatanga Central for key messages from the Ghana Police Service and the Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga, Rex Asanga, who graced the occasion.
Often, Ghana witnesses some seeming tension during election years despite the conduct of peaceful elections since 1992. However, the death of some 8 persons during the 2020 elections has left many concerned.
Speaking in an interview with Dreamz News, the Area Head of the Church of Pentecost, Bolgatanga Area, Apostle David Amankwa noted that the peace walk is part of the church’s social responsibility since peace is a key catalyst for developing every nation.
He, therefore, urged citizens to respect leaders, conduct themselves responsibly, be civil in their actions, and take part in the voting process.
According to Apostle Amankwa, not participating in the voting process will negatively affect the country.
“We organized this peace campaign exercise as part of the church’s social responsibility of transforming every life. 2024 is an election year and the church has a vision of promoting peace. We must be intentional about promoting peace because without peace, we cannot do anything. Without peace, we can’t grow. Without peace, we can’t develop.”
“I also want to tell people that they need to take part in the voting. If you do that, it will affect our nation Ghana. If you don’t vote others vote, and they change what you want, it means that it will never come. So, come December 7, I urge people to go out and vote,” he urged.
He further urged major players in the election process including the Electoral Commission and the various security agencies, especially the Ghana Police Service to discharge their duties professionally.
The Apostle of God urged the church and its leaders to be unifiers and not divide the people further.
“These major players, I must say have been trained and therefore, they have to professionally deliver. They are mandated to represent us. As Ghanaians, they have to be objective and fair in all that they do. The body of Christ has a big role. Prayer is key so they should continue to pray for Ghana and the leaders of the church should remain neutral,” he added.
