Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, has called on faith-based organizations to support the Ghana Police Service in enforcing the laws of Ghana.
He said the laws of Ghana does not fight against the operation of faith-based organizations but rather exist to ensure that their activities are not in contravention of the constitution of the republic.
He urged faith-based organizations to help the Police to enforce the laws to help sanitize their activities.
He was reacting to the meeting between them and the Inspector-General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, on the ‘Religion and the Law’.
He posited that although exercising one’s faith is lawful, it should not infringe on the fundamental human rights of others.
The meeting was called on the behest of Dr. Akuffo-Dampare and was aimed at highlighting the rights and limitations of the religious community within the confines of the law.
He charged the media to also support the initiative by the IGP in promoting education and the enforcement of the laws.
“The new IGP and his men are not introducing new laws. They are only enforcing existing laws enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of Ghana. These laws provide guidelines on noisemaking, prophecies and others. These laws already exist, but we were not obeying the laws. We are prepared to support the Police to enforce the laws,” he stated.
He said the various faith-based organizations, with support from the Police, will embark on an education campaign to enlighten churches on the limitations of their activities.
He encouraged the churches not to see this as a witch-hunt exercise but rather an exercise to sanitize the religious community, protect the fundamental rights of Ghanaians.
The activities of the church, he noted, should not promote fear and panic, depression, the psychological trauma of people but instead promote sanity, discipline and godliness.
“We need to sanitize the system. All the groups have agreed that we need sanity in the religious space and control the excesses, the human rights abuses and how people take advantage to create chaos, fear and panic in the society. The law does not prevent you from exercising your faith but there are limitations,” he added.