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Quest for material wealth affects efforts at nation
building - Priest
Cape Coast, Jan. 03, GNA - Reverend Father Richard Kyeremeh,
President of National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan
Priests’ Association (NUGDPA), on Wednesday, observed that
the quest for unprincipled material wealth in the country
has led to high level of self-centeredness, immorality,
human wickedness and other vices that have negatively
affected efforts at nation building.
“While some patriotic citizens were doing their best to make
Ghana a peaceful modern nation, others were busy tearing it
apart with unprincipled greed for material wealth, political
power and bestial sexual drive,” he added.
Rev. Kyeremeh expressed these sentiments at the opening
session of the 21st NUGDPA congress at Holy Child School in
Cape Coast.
It is under the theme “Fifty Years of Independence. The
Impact of Ghanaian Catholic Diocesan Priests in Nation
Building: Challenges and Prospects.”
The Congress would provide the priests an opportunity to
take stock of their achievements, critically examine their
shortfalls and strategically plan for the future.
Topics to be treated included “The indiscriminate quest for
material wealth”, “HIV/AIDS Scare”, “Importation and use of
hard drugs”, “corruption”, “Unemployment among the youth”,
“Indiscipline and moral decadence in the society”.
It was attended by 450 priests, six Archbishops and Bishops
and representatives of societies in the church, drawn from
all the 18 Catholic Dioceses in the country.
Rev. Kyeremeh pointed out that for any nation to stand the
test of time, it must be built on sound spiritual and moral
foundation and gave the assurance that diocesan priests in
Ghana would continue to sensitize Ghanaians so that together
they would build the nation on the foundation of peace,
justice, liberty and fraternity.
“These are the values of the Kingdom of God and as priests,
we are duty bound to proclaim them to all Ghanaians,” he
added.
Rev. Kyeremeh said diocesan priests in Ghana for the past 50
years had seen, heard and felt the joy and sorrow, the
determination, frustration, the struggle and expectation,
disappointment and comfort of the flock they had been
ordained to lead and had translated these sets of
experiences into outreach programmes to provide hope for
all.
Sir Fosuaba Akwasi Mensah Banahene, Administrator of GETFUND,
underscored the important role the first missionaries, the
Catholic Church and priests continued to play in the
socio-economic development of the nation.
He noted that 15-20 per cent of public schools at the basic
school level, 10 out of the 21 public Senior Girls Secondary
Schools, 40 per cent of the 22 public Boys schools, 58
vocational and technical institutes and a university were
built by the church.
On health, Sir Fosuaba said it was the Catholic Church that
started the Health Insurance Scheme before Government was
involved and it had 106 health facilities including 32
hospitals.
He said in spite of the huge success the church had chalked
in education, health, job creation and provision of credit
facilities, it was saddled with moral decadence in the
society and expressed concern about the negative influence
“modern communication facilities” such as the Internet and
television had on the public especially the youth.
Sir Fosuaba expressed concern about the adulteration of
Ghanaian cultures by foreign cultures that was affecting the
society and asked the priests to use the congress to evolve
pragmatic measures to address the situation.
He urged them to ensure reconciliation, peace and justice,
undertake more charity work, have respect for their bishops
as they enter the 50th year in Ghana’s history.
Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, Archbishop of Cape Coast
Diocese, stressed the need for priests to appreciate efforts
of the first missionaries who had to sacrifice their lives
for the Church in Ghana and urged them to emulate their
examples by sacrificing for the church.
Mr Daniel Batidam, Executive Secretary of Ghana Integrity
Initiatives, said Catholic Priests were partners in
development and called on them to help address corruption
which was a development problem.
He said as they evangelized to the congregations, it was
important for them to factor in the issue of corruption to
enable the public know much about it.
Mr Batidam urged them to take care of the needs of retired
priests and revisit the laity council issues in the parishes
by ensuring the formation of more laity councils and
training of the members.
Nana Ato Arthur, Central Regional Minister, underscored the
important role the church had played in the development of
the nation and urged them to use the congress to evolve
measure to address moral decadence and indiscipline in the
society as well as help steer affairs of the nation in the
next 50 years.
He pledged Government’s support to priests and urged them to
live up to their task of leading the flock.
Sir Fosuaba later donated 100 million cedis to the
association to train its members.
GNA
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