The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana has pushed back against concerns over clergy involvement in national discourse, insisting that the Church has a duty to speak on governance without being labelled partisan.
Rev. Cyril Fayose, speaking on PM Express with Evans Mensah on Tuesday, said the Council remains deliberate in maintaining neutrality despite its influence.
The Christian Council member churches are careful to be non-partisan. They are non-partisan in their dealings with members of their congregations, because the members of our congregations belong to all the parties,” he said.
His comments come amid ongoing debate about the role of religious leaders in Ghana’s political space, especially as churches continue to command large followings and moral authority.
Critics often argue that public statements by clergy can shape political opinion and tilt public sentiment.
But Rev. Fayose rejected the idea that such caution should silence the Church.
“So, as a leader of people from diverse party affiliations, you must respect their sensibilities, so you should not make certain statements.
“But that is not to say that we should not make comments on political happenings in our country without the fear that we will be branded as belonging to one party or the other,” he said.
He stressed that neutrality does not mean silence. “No, we have to say it as it is,” he added, framing the Council’s interventions as part of its civic responsibility.
Drawing on Ghana’s democratic tradition, he invoked a popular expression to underline the right to free speech.
“We have described democracy in our local language as ‘Kabi na menka bi’, to wit ‘Everyone must have their freedom of speech’, so we all have the right to speak,” he said.
Rev. Fayose also referenced a well-known line by former President Nana Akufo-Addo to reinforce his argument.
“Our former president, Nana Akufo-Addo, is famously quoted as saying that we should be ‘citizens and not spectators’, and that’s all we are doing,” he stated.
He clarified that the Council’s position is not about endorsing political actors or parties.
“We are not going out to declare our support for a particular party or a particular Party’s position,” he said.
Instead, he said the Church’s role is to hold leadership accountable in the public interest.
“We are out there to help comment on the actions of our leaders so that together, we’ll have a better country,” he added.
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