President John Mahama has commended the National Peace Council for spearheading the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by faith-based organisations, towards managing religious diversity in mission schools. 

The President gave the commendation during a courtesy call by the National Peace Council led by its Chairman, Reverend Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, to present a litany of challenges facing the Council for redress. 

President Mahama acknowledged that the signing of the MoU, which took place in 2024, by faith-based organisations was to ensure inclusivity, tolerance, and provide guidelines on practices like fasting, worship spaces, and dress codes in government-assisted schools.  

The MoU, facilitated by the National Peace Council, was endorsed by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and over 13 missions. 

He, however, noted that despite the signing of the MoU, the same issues had been a point of contention for quite a while now. 

“We took note that somebody filed a case before the Supreme Court, which is yet to pronounce its judgement on the issue. If you read what the faith-based organisations agreed in their own MoU, I don't see any point of dispute,” the President said. 

The President stated that in the MoU, they all accepted that if there was a mission school, it had its faith orientation, but within that faith orientation, there must be recognition of diversity, declaring that “it is right there in the MoU.” 

“So, I don't want to suggest it, but I think the Supreme Court has its way cut out for it. Because the same people have signed up for that MoU. And so, I don't see what the contention there is,” he said. 

President Mahama said there was even a place that talked about fasting in the MoU, because both Christians and Muslims fast.  

He said this was the reason why students from diverse religious backgrounds could be found in either a Christian or an Islamic school in Ghana. 

President Mahama said the MoU also clearly addressed the issue of allowing students to fast, subject to the consent of their parents, who would be fully responsible for any health consequences faced by the student because of the fasting and not the school. 

The President said he thinks this was something that they could all be proud of and commended the Peace Council again for being the facilitators of that understanding between the faith-based institutions.