The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has called on the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to ensure a peaceful presidential primary election on Saturday. 

The CCG also urged the Ghana Police Service, Electoral Commission (EC), and other security services to work together to maintain peace during the polls.

"Dear aspirants and delegates of the NPP, let us give peace a chance. It is possible to elect your flag bearer devoid of hate, acrimony, and violence," the council said.

The General Secretary of CCG, Rev. Dr Cyril Fayose, made the call at the commemoration of the International Day of Peaceful Coexistence held in Accra.

The event was on the theme: "Leveraging Peaceful Coexistence for National Development."

He urged delegates and other actors in the primary to ensure that the period leading up to the elections on Saturday and thereafter remained peaceful and harmonious.

The General Secretary of CCG indicated that the country was not a one-party state, hence the need for a thriving opposition in order to safeguard the democratic credentials within the subregion.

He commended the NPP for instituting the signing of the peace pact among aspirants, and urged them to abide by the terms of the pact for an incident free electoral process.

Present at the event were Reverend Victor Kpapko Addo, popularly known as Reverend Azigiza Junior, who represented the Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah; the Communication Advisor of the CCG, Samuel Koku Anyidoho among others.

Tolerance

Rev. Fayose also urged Ghanaians to continue to be tolerant and embrace diversity to safeguard the peace of the country.

“The CCG pleads with the good people of Ghana, including our political, traditional and religious leaders to embrace diversity, uphold fellow feeling, promote interfaith harmony and community initiatives for the common good of our people.

“We entreat the good people of Ghana across religious and political divides to employ peaceful, democratic, and lawful means to resolve disputes, conflicts, and any impasse that may confront us in our quest to build our dear nation,” he stated.

Rev.  Dr Fayose affirmed the CCG’s commitment to all activities aimed at promoting peace in the country, the sub-region, and beyond, adding that the country’s economy was seeing some revival, which needed peace to consolidate its gains for national development.

“National development cannot be sustained without peace.

We agree with the United Nations that peace is not only construed as the absence of war or conflict.

“It is a progressive, proactive, and holistic state encompassing the dignity of humankind, socio-economic justice, sustainable development, and respect for God-given human rights. 

“Peaceful coexistence obligates us to foster tolerance, mutual understanding, and active maintenance of international security. It does not suggest that we share the same faith, creed, or religion,” he added.

Interfaith harmony

The External Affairs Secretary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission Ghana, R. Y. Yusuf Quainoo, for his part, underscored the importance of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims in the country.

Mr Quainoo shared a personal experience of travelling with Christian colleagues to Indonesia, highlighting the surprise of Indonesian Muslims at the warm relationship between Ghanaian Christians and Muslims.

He attributed the country's peace to the strong interfaith relationships, citing the example of the General Secretary of the CCG, who he considered a brother.

He praised the General Secretary's participation in Muslim events when invited, and urged media practitioners to promote peace and avoid fuelling trouble.

Mr Quainoo added that the country’s identity transcended religious affiliations, saying, "First of all, we are Ghanaians.

That is what identifies us." He stressed that God is one and would not condone violence against others, hence the need for all Christians and Muslims to live together.