President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, inaugurated the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Committee.
The 32-member committee has the mandate to coordinate and plan the annual National Prayer and Thanksgiving Day slated for July 1 every year.
Inaugurating the committee at the Presidency in Accra, President Mahama said there was every reason to be thankful to God for the peace and tranquility the country has enjoyed over the years in a volatile region.
“One of Ghana’s greatest blessings is the harmony with which we practise our diverse faiths. Christians, Muslims and traditionalists – we worship differently but we work together as one people. This is a national treasure that we must never take for granted.”
According to President Mahama, Ghana stands as a shining example of religious tolerance for many countries not only in Africa but the world.
Citing Sura Al-Hujurat Chapter 49:13 and Romans 12:18 from the Quran and the Bible respectively, President Mahama emphasised the value of peaceful coexistence.
“This is the spirit with which we must move forward, and so with conviction, reverence and unity of purpose, I hereby declare the Republic Day 1st of July of every year also as Ghana’s official National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving,” he declared and entreated Ghanaians to observe the day.
Chairman of the committee, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, pledged of the committee’s full commitment to making the day meaningful and unifying for all Ghanaians.
“We assure you, Mr President and the good people of Ghana that we will discharge our duties with diligence and dedication. We understand the weight of the responsibility entrusted to us,” Mr Ankrah assured.
The event, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah added would not just be another occasion on the national calendar, but a spiritual journey to seek the face of God for the nation.
“It is about nurturing a spiritual culture of gratitude, about fostering unity in diversity and about elevating our national consciousness to appreciate the hand of God in the affairs of our country,” he said.
He assured that the committee would consult broadly by engaging across the country to bring everybody on board from every region, every faith, and every background because “the national day of thanksgiving belongs to all of us”.
The membership of the committee is drawn from both Muslim and Christian denominations.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
