The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has charged the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to ensure that its activities remain responsible, constructive and guided by Ghana’s national interest.
Ghana, it said, is bigger than any political party, government, opposition or individual ambition, urging political leaders to put the welfare of citizens ahead of partisan considerations.
Former Vice-Chairman and Executive Member of the Council, Bishop Dr Lawson Adjei, made the call when the Minority Caucus, led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, paid a working visit on Tuesday to engage its leadership on a range of national issues, including illegal mining, the operations of GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana, narcotics, the rule of law and freedom of speech.
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Welcoming the Minority on behalf of the Chairman, Reverend Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, he stressed that opposition is essential to Ghana’s democracy but cautioned political actors against allowing partisan disagreements to undermine the broader national interest.
“Opposition should be strong, principled and courageous, but it should also be responsible and constructive. Our disagreements must never become greater than our commitment to the Republic.”
“Let Ghana come first in all what we do. Let our politics be guided by the national interest, our criticisms by the desire to improve our country and our actions by the welfare of the Ghanaian people,” he said.
He called on politicians to promote unity despite their differences, saying political competition should not turn opponents into enemies.
“We may belong to different political traditions, but we share one homeland, one destiny and one future. Let us therefore choose unity over division, patriotism over partisanship and national interest over political expediency,” he said.
Responding to the Council’s concerns, Mr Afenyo-Markin assured the Christian Council that the Minority would not deliberately obstruct government business, but appealed to the Majority to listen to and cooperate with the opposition.
He said his previous experience as Majority Leader had given him an understanding of the responsibilities that come with serving in opposition and the need to engage government constructively.
“We will never obstruct government business. We owe it a duty to democracy to help government succeed. So we’re not going to be obstructionist, but at least the Majority must hear us and listen to us and cooperate with us,” he said.
The Minority Leader said effective parliamentary democracy required communication between the governing and opposition sides, particularly on matters with significant implications for the country.
He also called for stronger engagement among political actors on national development issues, citing the controversy surrounding the National Cathedral as an example.