By Damian Avevor
The members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) have urged the Government to walk the talk by ensuring that Security Agencies disengage the violent activities of land guards, political vigilante groups and nomadic herdsmen, who had unleashed violence on Ghanaians for a long time.
These groups are employed by Ghanaians to protect their properties but often terrorise fellow Ghanaians who have variant interests in the same property, the Bishops said.
They lamented that Vigilante Groups were the creations of some politicians who use them for their political gains.
In a 10-page Communique issued at the end of their 12-day Plenary Assembly at Ho from November 6 to 18, 2017, the Bishops said “while we commend Government for calling on the Security Agencies to stop the violent activities, we state that we need more actions than words.
“The culture of mob lynching of perceived criminals is a sign of an impatient society that has no trust and respect for due process, rule of law and dignity of human life,” the Bishops said.
They recommended a radical education that acknowledges that every human life in Ghana is sacred and ought to be respected from the moment of conception to natural death.
They added: “we further encourage continuous education of every Ghanaian to respect due process which is a basic tenet of our democratic dispensation.”
The Communiqué, signed by Most Rev. Philip Naameh, President of the Bishops Conference, touched on a range of national issues including Education and Free SHS, Mob Injustice, Incidence of Sexual Abuse, Religious Leadership; Bribery and Corruption, Galamsey Menace, Sanitation and E-waste Management; Traditional Rulers, Values and Customs; Eastern Corridor Road, Nkonya-Alavanyo conflict, and the political crises in Togo.
On Traditional Rulers, Values and Customs, the Bishops observed that some Religious Leaders and their followers show complete disregard for the cultural values and customs through the use of demeaning words on radio, television and in their Churches.
The Bishops said though they reject traditional customs that dehumanise the dignity and well-being of the human person, “We caution all who engage in such conduct and urge them to show due respect and positive regard to our traditional rulers, values and customs.”
