Under the leadership of Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, President John Dramani Mahama established an office at the Jubilee House to coordinate spiritual matters on behalf of the state.
Faith leaders were asked, as per the unambiguous terms of reference of the office, to formally report national security-related prophecies and spiritual related matters.
For the avoidance of doubts, such spiritual leaders having been given a rare formal state recognition, including of course non-church players, are to deal directly with the office so created.
We have not heard much about the office since its establishment. The Office of the Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations, which is its moniker, appears not to be relating productively with the faith leaders, which is why some of them are too loud on the public space, sometimes embarrassingly, by their failure to conceal their political colours.
Spiritual issues should as much as possible be dealt with in the quiet, away from the public glare, unless the motive is different.
A rare reality has dawned on the country’s spiritual and political space, which does not augur well for national development as matters of spirituality are being blended with politics, the amalgam so created nauseating.
Some spiritual leaders have placed themselves in a disturbingly compromised position which makes them more political than saving lost flocks of Christ. Shouldn’t sincerity be the guiding principle for those who claimed to have responded to the calling?
Even as the flock of Christ are suffering the fallouts of bad governance, these persons have enmeshed themselves in situations which rob them of the ability to fight for good governance with their heads up.
Such personalities need the confidence of their adherents, but when this quality begins to wane due to their obvious compromised posturing, then we have a problem.
Archbishop Duncan-Williams appears to have a problem which he is seeking to address, but rather ineffectively. Against the heightened and unprecedented rate of illegal mining in the country and in the light of his active role in the regime-change agenda using illegal mining as a cornerstone ahead of the last elections, he has found himself in an awkward position; he must redeem his image. He cannot afford to be silent, and what a dilemma!
Consistency being the mark of integrity demands that variation do not occur in our approach to subjects.
Earlier, the man of God suffered an integrity injury when he varied his position on how to tackle illegal mining, which was a call for the declaration of a state of emergency in 2024 to prayers.
Then came another bombshell: the man of God is subtly seeking a breather for the cornered Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod). It is instructive that this is coming on the heels of the Minority’s demand for accountability from the loss enmeshed GoldBod.
Rather than join in the quest for good corporate governance, the Archbishop is throwing a lifeline to the poorly managed entity by claiming to have seen ‘dark forces’ in its wheels. He has prescribed prayers for the board.
When men of God become PR vessels for cornered state entities, we must begin posing questions as to what has gone wrong as a country?
Archbishop Duncan-Williams has misfired with his latest disclosure, as he has been for sometime now, by inferring to the Minority as ‘dark forces’ which, as it were, are demanding accountability from the GoldBod. Should this earn the Minority the unenviable nom de guerre of Dark Forces?
The man of God could have done better by demanding enquiry into the World Bank-endorsed losses by the GoldBod to establish the truth or otherwise if he relishes being in the choppy waters of politics.
He has proven that politicisation of the pulpit is an attribute of his, and we find it opprobrious because ordinarily he should not open his underbelly for rude remarks reserved for political actors.
It is for appropriate reasons that politicisation of the church is anathema.
