The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ conference has in its new message admonished politicians to do their work conscientiously and avoid bribery and corruption.
A press statement issued by the President of the group, Most Rev. Jospeh Osei-Bonsu cautioned politicians to avoid misappropriation of public funds in 2015.
The group also condemned unhealthy rivalry between political parties saying “there should be no unnecessary and unhealthy rivalry between political parties. We should put an end to the culture of insults that is so prevalent in our country, especially in the political arena. Certain pronouncements and actions by highly-placed Ghanaians do not promote peace. Rather, they create confusion, rancour, bitterness and resentment. ”
It further charged Ghanaians to be frank with politicians and point out their mistakes to them.
“We should put an end to sycophancy and bootlicking and have the courage to castigate politicians when they go wrong,” it noted.
The Economic Order and Peace
[contextly_sidebar id=”ajuYuwgpQ6bN0QJ6LOsiEkEcwqJZsyH8″]The group emphasized the need for Ghanaians to take their work seriously to promote economic order.
According to the group, “Ghana cannot make any progress economically when people go to work late, when they laze about in the workplace, read the newspapers and play lotto at work. Ghana cannot make any progress if workers have to take bribes before they render service to people.”
“When people refuse to work hard but then collect their salaries at the end of the month, they are committing a social sin, a sin against the state,” he said.
Peace and the Family
It also said one of the most obvious areas where there is the need to promote peace in the new year is the area of the family.
” Parents have a serious responsibility towards the children whom they have brought into this world. They should take good care of them and bring them up in accordance with the tenets of their faith. Working parents should ensure that they have time for their children, otherwise they will discover painfully one day that after they have made all the money in the world, they have wayward children, ” it noted.
“…Parents should ensure that their children dress decently, do not engage in all kinds of social vices including the taking of illicit drugs and in pre-marital sex. They should see to it that their children grow up with the traditional value of respect for elders and authority. They should also make sure that their children take their studies seriously because that is the key to success in our modern world. They should ensure that their children go to school instead of selling all manner of things, including dogs and dog chains, by the roadside,” it added.
It said parents should also courageously fight against whatever militates against the family and good family values.
” There are people who are now vigorously advocating the legalization of homosexuality and same sex marriage. We should do whatever we can, in line with our religion and culture, to oppose the legalization of homosexuality which will spell doom for the family and family life.”
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana