The Most Rev. Matthew Kwesi Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) and Bishop of Sunyani, has commended Ghana’s reputation as a beacon of democracy in Africa but has expressed concern about rising political tension, corruption, and inequality that undermine social harmony.
He noted that although Ghana has enjoyed stable democratic transitions since 1992, the 2024 general elections revealed worrying divisions, citing reports of violence, arrests, and deaths, and has called for an urgent need for moral guidance in politics with conscience and truth.
“Democracy without conscience is fragile,” he cautioned. “Without truth and justice, it risks becoming ritual rather than renewal.”
The GCBC President also criticized the widespread destruction of the environment through illegal mining (galamsey), describing it as a moral, social, and ecological tragedy.
He noted, “As of 2023, over 60 percent of Ghana’s rivers and streams were polluted, thirty-four forest reserves were compromised, and more than 4,700 hectares of forest were destroyed. This devastation is not merely ecological; it is a moral and social tragedy.”
He further raised concerns about the recurring chieftaincy and ethnic conflicts in parts of the country, particularly in Bawku and other northern communities, which have claimed lives and displaced families.
He, however, commended local parishes and communities for their generosity in supporting refugees fleeing from Burkina Faso.
“Our local communities, despite poverty, have shown heroic generosity with little external support. These realities remind us that peace cannot exist without justice, and security cannot endure without compassion”, he added.
By: Vanessa Kekeli Yeboah//Newswatcgh.com
