Dr Jeffrey Haynes, Professor Emeritus of Politics, London Metropolitan University, UK
By Prof. Jeffrey Haynes
The Church of Pentecost (CoP) is Ghana’s largest church with around 4.5 million members. Put another way, one in eight Ghanaians are members of the Church. The CoP has an active role in Christian attempts to fix what are perceived as the country’s governance problems, highlighting political, economic and developmental weaknesses. Senior figures, notably Apostle Eric Nyamekye, the CoP’s 6th Chairman, are prominent figures in the country’s ongoing debate about illegal gold mining (galamsey). Apostle Nyamekye’s recent statement regarding the undesirability of river baptism in Ghana’s increasingly polluted river waters, especially in gold mining areas, focuses attention on the prominent role of the Church in relation to controversial issues in the country’s development.
Controversy
Controversy was fuelled by recent comments by an appointee of President Mahama, Dr. Mary Awusi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, who publicly lambasted Apostle Eric Nyamekye following his recent comments about galamsey and the apparent failure of the current government to tackle the issue with the seriousness it undoubtedly deserves. In addition, Apostle Nyamekye did not spare the previous administration under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from criticism over how galamsey was handled during the eight years of New Patriotic Party rule (2017-2025).
This is what Dr. Mary Awusi had to say about Apostle Nyamekye’s comments: ‘He is a man of God, so we will forgive him, but next time he should not descend to that level. If he descends to that level to become a politician, we will deal with him on that level. If he is an anointed man of God, he won’t say what he said, because what he said is a highly political statement’.
If Dr Awusi believed that her comments would pass unnoticed, she was mistaken. The the party of government, the National Democratic Convention (NDC), had a collective meltdown as it tried to deal with the backlash following Dr. Mary Awusi’s remarks. Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, a man not known for expressing himself emotionally in public, broke down in tears on the morning of 26th April as he apologised at the Pentecost International Worship Center, Trasacco, Accra, to the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost over Dr Awusi’s public attack on Apostle Nyamekye and, by extension, the Church of Pentecost more generally.
Relations
Relations between the NDC and the CoP are said to be somewhat strained and, in this context, it may not be surprising that Dr Awusi did not feel constrained by protocol when responding to Apostle Nyamekye’s comments. Was Dr Awusi, Deputy Director of Inter-Party and Civil Society Relations for the NDC, speaking on her own behalf or was she articulating a broader sentiment within the ranks of the party? It is said that the NDC and the CoP do not see eye to eye on the crucial issue of corruption, recognised by many Ghanaians as one of the chief obstacles to Ghana’s developmental progress. Senior figures in the Church of Pentecost have told me that the failure of the NDC government to progress the CoP’s suggestion of a National Moral and Integrity Council, suggested nearly three years ago by the Church, has soured relations. It may be that the NDC government is not keen on the idea of a National Moral and Integrity Council because it would target for corruption prominent Ghanaians, including senior politicians from Ghana’s ‘Big Two’: the NDC and the NPP.
The brouhaha shows no sign of abating. There are calls to sack Dr Awusi – which might be a case of shooting the messenger – while other Christian churches are weighing in on the side of the Church of Pentecost. There is a danger that the storm in a tea cup will develop into a full-blown connotational imbroglio, focusing on the constitutional positions of, respectively, church and state, and the extent to which the former ‘should’ get involved in politics.
Galamsey
This brings us back to the issue of galamsey and Apostle Nyamekye’s recent comments. It is often claimed that not only senior politicians but also Ghana’s churches benefit financially from galamsey and in relation to the former this is said to be a key reason why galamsey is not tackled by the government with the seriousness it deserves given the devastating effects the practice is having on Ghana’s natural environment in gold mining areas. For their part, churches are said not be blameless as, it is claimed, many are happy to take – often large – donations from known galamseyers even though they know from where the money is coming.
The last time that the state took on the church was during the last years of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) regime, in the late 1980s. The PNDC sought to exert control over the church by what many regarded as a clumsy attempt to deny crucial religious freedoms. The backlash from the church was a significant factor in a wider civil society demand for the return of democracy which, following a referendum, took place in 1992.
It is imperative now that tempers are cooled and both parties, the government and the CoP, sit down and discuss the way forward. Both are highly significant components of Ghana’s governance and to be at odds is in no one’s interest.
The writer, Dr Jeffrey Haynes, is a Professor Emeritus of Politics, London Metropolitan University, UK.
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