At the end of their annual plenary in Elmina in the Central Region, Catholic Bishops have commended government for introducing the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme, but noted that there were challenges that demanded attention.
“We, therefore, call for a broad national dialogue of relevant stakeholders’ review of all aspects of the Free SHS and the challenges associated with the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) to find the best way forward for our nation,” they said in a statement they issued at the end of the conference.
The bishops re-echoed President Akufo-Addo’s assurance that “Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) will not see the light of day under his government,” adding that the uproar that greeted the controversial subject was indicative of what should be expected when an externally imposed policy is accepted without adequate engagement with the citizens who would be affected by it.
They advised the President against a future re-introduction of the subject in any form or guise in our school curriculum.
Security
The bishops urged the managers of security of the state to up their performance. Their call was hinged on the kidnapping of the Takoradi girls and other murderous incidents in the country.
Political Parties
The Catholic clergy were not happy with the interference in security matters by political parties; they observed that such a situation makes security personnel ineffective.
Economic Growth, Poverty
They stated that “the government deserves commendation for the successful completion of economic reforms under the IMF-sponsored Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme.”
They noted that the reforms had put the economy on the path of sustainable growth, saying “today broad economic indicators are pointing in the right direction. Our economic growth rate is reputed to be one of the highest in the world, and inflation is down to single digits.”
These notwithstanding, the bishops observed “it is troubling that the gap between the rich and the poor has grown to embarrassingly high levels. We, therefore, urge our national political leadership to take urgent steps to ensure equity to the distribution of the benefits of growth.”
Financial Sector Reforms
On the recent reforms which witnessed the closure to dozens of insolvent companies in the financial sector, the bishops observed “to the extent that the exercise is meant to protect depositors from losing their hard-earned monies, we commend the central bank. We are, however, concerned about many Ghanaians whose monies have been locked up in these defunct institutions, with no hope of redeeming their investments and we appeal to the government to help them recover their monies.”
Election 2020
On next year’s general elections, the bishops pointed out that the principal lessons polls teach us is that no one can govern without the sovereign will of the people. “As we do prior to elections, we earnestly appeal to all Ghanaians to go about their preparation towards the 2020 elections in a manner that gives true meaning to democracy. In this regard, we should all desist from bribery, threats, violence, lies, insults and other evil means to secure any electoral advantage,” they added.
ROPAA
They asked that issues concerning the Representation of People’s Amendment Act (ROPAA) be discussed and executed carefully to ensure “a successful implementation because it has implications for national security.”
Every year, the bishops assemble to take stock of developments in the country and proffer recommendations and queries accordingly.
By A.R. Gomda