The Ghanaian Minaret

Accra: The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kinsford Bagbin, is proposing the formation of a joint religious pressure group headed by the leadership of the main religious groups in Ghana to check the excesses of overbearing governments.

Such a group, when put in place, he said could provide a needed united front and a platform that speaks truth to power whenever necessary without fear or favour.

He advocated that spiritual and traditional leaders must be given their rightful places in national governance to participate and share wisdom on governance, especially with young politicians.

“Political parties alone cannot guarantee the success of the democratic experiment in Ghana until interest groups such as the National Muslim Conference of Ghana (NMCG), the Catholic Bishops Conference, and the Christian Council play their roles in shaping the policies of Ghana,” he said.

The speaker made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the fourth edition of the National Muslim Conference, which was held on Friday on the theme, “Towards Bridging the Gaps in National Healthcare Delivery in Ghana: The Role of the National Muslim Conference of Ghana.”

He urged Muslims to prioritise unity and peace in the run-up to the December general elections, adding that “no Muslim should allow himself or herself to be used as an instrument of chaos, violence, or lack of peace.”

He said he has observed with keen interest how the NMCG has introduced an innovation into the political party discourse and the democratic literature of the country by submitting a 14-point manifesto to presidential candidates of the two major political parties.

These moves, he said, were not only historic but meant to give true meaning to the concept of the social contract that exists between citizens and political parties seeking the mandate of the people to govern them.

“The spiritual life of a religious community is meaningless until it is linked to the socio-economic and political growth and development of its adherents in the life here on earth and the hereafter,” he said.

He said that all the Abrahamic religions are from the same root with similar moral teachings and values as they are anchored on the oneness of God.

“It is for this reason that I have never hesitated in supporting the Muslim caucus as well as the Christian fellowship in parliament in their efforts to uphold the values of their religion in parliament.

“I therefore did not hesitate to launch a parliamentary caucus of freedom of religion or belief for west African parliaments in November last year,” he said.

Highlighting his contributions to the Muslim community over the past years, he said he was instrumental in ensuring Muslims in parliament have a permanent place of worship, sponsored hajj pilgrims from his constituency, contributed funds, and supported the delegation that visited Turkey to seek support for the construction of the national mosque.

“Since I took over as Speaker, I ensure that the budget of parliament provides on an annual basis fully for the observance of the night of power in the holy month of Ramadan. Furthermore, I never hesitate to extend my support and assistance for the creation of the NMCG by the Muslim caucus of parliament,” he added.