President John Mahama says dividing Ghana along political lines is drawing the country back and preventing it from achieving its development goals.

The president noted that religious leaders are enjoined by the gospel to pray for the nation irrespective of the political party in power. He therefore cautioned against tagging such persons as being partisan, describing it as a major challenge to our development.

President John Mahama made the call while interacting with senior Clergymen and women at the Flagstaff House, Monday. The meeting was to discuss how this year’s national prayer and fasting week was to be organized.

He encouraged religious and opinion leaders to join in his quest to defuse the notion and save the nation from deterioration along political lines.

"Whatever happens in this country at anytime there will be a leadership...and if religious leaders pray for the leadership and on that basis they are tagged as being partisan, then we do have a problem," the president stated.

He also entreated the Clergymen and women not to relent on their determination to sacrifice their time and energy to fortify the nation and its leaders spiritually.

He assured the Clergymen and women that while they keep on fasting and praying for Ghana his administration will continue to take the opportunities God gives the country to better the lives of Ghanaians.

"Leaders will come and go...and it's your duty to pray for a new leader that leads this country in a righteous manner".

Meanwhile, president Mahama also used the meeting to court support from the leaders to buy into his idea of promoting the patronage of made in Ghana goods, in order to save the nation the millions of dollars used to import items including food, into the country.