President Nana Akufo-Addo
PRESIDENT NANA Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says he will ensure peaceful elections at next year’s presidential and parliamentary polls.
Having indicated his decision to seek re-election for another term, he said that must be done in a peaceful environment.
He gave the assurance during the annual festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held at Jubilee House—the seat of government—on Friday evening.
This is the first time in the country’s history that all the three arms of government—Judiciary, Legislature and Executive—have each held a festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.
For the President, that alone “is a strong testimony of the determination of each arm to be guided in their work by the Christian values of faith, love, charity and reconciliation.”
“We have a responsibility to ensure that we put our best foot forward beginning with the people in this house … we have to ensure that it is peaceful and orderly so that our people can make their choice in freedom and peace. I am very optimistic that that will be the case and that the reputation of our nation as a beacon of democracy will be further strengthened,” he said.
He stressed “this commitment is particularly important, especially as we enter a new year in which the nation is going to conduct a general election so that our people can choose the person or persons they want to manage the affairs of the nation on their behalf.”
The service was officiated by Rev. Father Andrew Campbell of the Christ the King Church and Canon Samuel Lamptey of the Accra Ridge Church, while the Harmonious Chorale, Winneba Youth Choir and the Ridge Church Youth Choir provided good renditions of music.
Guest soloists were T. K. Thomas of the Accra Ridge Church, Genevieve Ofori and Alice Twum from the Empowerment Worship Centre, and produced and directed by James Ato Scott Bennin.
Some selected persons including students, heads of state institutions, officials of civil society organizations and representatives of organized labour did the reading of the Nine Lessons, with President Akufo-Addo taking the ninth and final lesson from the book of John 1:1-14.
Present at the ceremony was Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Chief of Staff Frema Osei-Opare and other guests.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent