The Tema Diocesan Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana has asked Ghanaians to protect the peace by rejecting vigilantism which has gained roots in Ghana, and secure a viable future for generations yet to come.

The Right Reverend Thomas Brown Forson says, “God has blessed our nation with peace under the rule of law, and we must protect the peace by showing gross dislike and disapproval to such groups that seek to topple the peace of our nation.”

The Right Reverend made this call during the 22nd synod of the Tema Diocese of the Methodist Church at the Bethel Methodist Church, Tema. Community Eight, Tema.

The Right Rev. Forson said vigilante groups were usually formed to prevent crime and ensure orderliness in communities, but noted that, “The term has taken on a foul meaning as political vigilante groups have sprung up all over the nation, causing mayhem and disorder.”

He asked Ghanaians and the church to educate the youth and everybody about the need to disband these political groups and stick to the rule of law “in peacefully running the nation Ghana.”

The Cleric said the vigilante groups could be destructive, and that Ghanaians would destroy their country if they allowed such politics to override their wishes in allowing these vigilante groups to thrive.

The Right Reverend said the country would grow not because Ghana had political parties but, “The country will grow because we have people who care and put the country first.”

He said a good number of Ghanaians had been trained to take care of community and national security and protect the rule of law, so there was no need for such groups, and that the composition of vigilante groups was only an act of selfishness on the part of some individuals in the nation.

“After all, at the end of it all, it is not the individual who matters but Ghana, and if it is Ghana, then let’s revert to the right procedure in doing things,” he said.

The Bishop said the church would continue to educate members to do what was right in the sight of God and the Ghanaian Constitution, and ensure that structures worked so that Ghanaians could live as peaceful people and enjoy God’s blessings.

The Secretary to the Synod, The Very Rev. Samuel Ofori Akyea, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), expanded the issue of security by advising parents to protect their children against the rate of kidnapping in Ghana, insisted that parents needed to be more serious with their security.

In tasking parents to be cautious of how they took the security of their children, he wondered why some children could sleep on the streets “and their parents knew nothing about where those children were.”

The Very Rev. Akyea said that, taking care of children should be everyone's responsibility because children were gifts from God and that parents needed to do more to protect them.