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Govt strengthens partnership with Christian Community to push development

By
Benjamin Adamafio Commey, GNA

Accra, Dec 10, GNA –
The Government, on Tuesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four
Christian Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) to strengthen their partnership for
expediting joint actions toward the socio-economic transformation of Ghana.

Under the agreement,
the Ministries of Finance and Employment and Labour Relations are to formalise
the contributions of the FBOs and non-state stakeholders in national
development.

The collaboration
falls within the framework of the Social Partnership Agreements – a
developmental paradigm aimed at complementing the Government’s transformational
agenda and the Ghana Beyond Aid vision.

Mr Ken Ofori Atta,
the Minister of Finance, signed on behalf the Government; while the Reverend
Father Lazarus Anondee, the Secretary General of the Ghana Catholic Bishops
Conference (GCBS) and the Most Rev. Dr Paul K. Boafo, Presiding Bishop of the
Methodist Church, Ghana, signed on behalf of GCBC and the Christian Council of
Ghana, respectively.

The other
signatories are: Rev Professor Paul Frimpong Manso – Ghana Pentecostal and
Charismatic Churches and Apostle Nii Amponsah – National Association of Charismatic
Christian Churches (NACCC).

Mr Ken Ofori Atta
said the contribution of FBOs to national development over the years had been
invaluable, thus making them suitable partners in driving the government’s
developmental agenda.

The objective, he
said, was, therefore, to strengthen ethical behaviour and counsel the
value-based national identity, facilitate, promote core values in the Bible and
the Constitution and Ghana Beyond Aid Charter to realise a moral transformation
of citizens.

It is also to mobilise
and administer resources to address prevalent socio-economic concerns and
social protection for the vulnerable.

“The FBOs have over
the years provided critical social infrastructure services and these have been
in various forms including schools, hospitals and other social services,” he
underlined.

“Indeed, a vast
percentage of top second cycle education institutions were established by the
churches and have produced national personalities who have positively impacted
our nation’s development.

“Other examples are
its provision of 40 per cent of all the health institutions in Ghana,
contributions to the cocoa industry…”.

With a branch
network of more than 30,000 across the entire nation, the FBOs, the Minister
said, possessed an effective transformation mechanism to reach an estimated
71.2 per cent of  citizens who profess
the Christian faith.

“…And they possess
the professional expertise, governance and administrative competence and a
proven track record of social interventions and are positioned as a strategic
engine for the development of our nation,” he added.

Mr Ofori-Atta
explained that the partnership was one of the Government’s efforts at creating
its own developmental model through the strengthening of domestic potentials
and to reduce reliance on others by creating a Wealthy, Inclusive, Sustainable,
Empowered and a Resilient (WISER) society.

The Government, he
said would continue to examine alternative tracks for development to ensure
value for money and ensure local that government worked closely with FBOs to
avoid duplications, save costs and increase accountability.

The Most Rev Dr  Boafo, for his part, said the Christian
Council over the years had had numerous partnerships with governments all
geared towards the improvement of the citizenry.

The Council,
therefore, fully supported the initiative introduced by the government.

Rev Fr Anondee said
the partnership would help the parties marshal all available resources to
ensure development.

He assured the
parties of his side’s readiness to work with other FBOs to ensure the
realisation of the initiative.

Rev Prof Paul
Frimpong Manso said even though the behaviour of some men of the Christian
faith gave a cause to worry, the contribution of FBOs to development should not
be downgraded and commended government for initiating the partnership.

Apostle Amponsah
said he believed that through the partnership the skills and integrity of human
resource would be harnessed for the development of the nation.

GNA

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