The media in conflict-torn Cote d’ Ivoire is responsible for the civil strife that has wrecked havoc in the country, leading to needless loss of lives and property and Ghanaian journalists must watch out.
Dr Lawrence Tetteh, a Ghanaian International Evangelist, who gave the admonishment in Accra on Thursday said: “As a nation are we learning any lessons from strife-torn Cote d’ Ivoire- our immediate neighbour? Is the media learning any lessons from journalists in Cote d’ Ivoire who hyped ethnic differences and caused a civil war.
“Are we learning from politicians there (Cote d’ Ivoire) who were blinded by ethnic and other parochial considerations leading to
unjustifiable and needles loss of precious human lives?”
Dr Tetteh, who is the President of the Worldwide Outreach Church, was speaking to the Ghana News Agency ahead of an Easter Convention
being organised by the Adabraka District of the Assemblies of God Church, of which he is the Guest Speaker.
The convention on the theme: “Be filled with the Holy Spirit for greater works,” will serve as a platform to honour Vice President John Dramani Mahama and the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, who are members of the church for their dedicated service to the mission.
Dr Tetteh asked the citizenry not to take the peace Ghana was enjoying for granted, adding: “ The clergy, chiefs, opinion leaders…
must know that we (Ghanaians) cannot passively sit by as few self-seeking people press the self-destructive button for the…nation
through insults, reckless, irresponsible and inflammatory utterances that undermine the stability of this great nation.”
He advised the clergy to stay above partisan politics in order to have the moral clout to speak against the wrong doings of politicians
and other leaders in the society.
“The destiny of the nation is in the hands of every Ghanaian and not politicians alone. We must therefore have the moral courage to
call to order politicians, individuals and groups whose actions and inactions seem to be tearing the nation apart.
“We elect our leaders with the cardinal objective of improving our living conditions. It is therefore our collective responsibility
and right to call them to order when they go wrong.
“We must all rise up from our stupor and not allow jaundiced journalists and social commentators to hold our dear nation to ransom.”
Dr Tetteh said differences in political ideologies should not disintegrate the society, stressing that politics must be a tool to
enrich the lives of people and “should not constitute betrayal of trust”.
Touching on the Easter celebrations, he asked Christians to use the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ to encourage
forgiveness for one another and promote reconciliation “as Christ died on the cross to reconcile mankind to God”.
“Let us refrain from sin that undermines the essence of Christ death. As a nation let us embrace national repentance…Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people,” he noted.