Apostle Ebenezer Boahen
A FORMER General Secretary of Christian Divine Church at Tarkwa in the Western Region, Kwame Bedu-Andor, has sued the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the church over their failure to vacate their positions following the expiration of their tenure.
A Tarkwa High Court has already placed an interlocutory injunction on the executives of the church pending the determination of a suit challenging their eligibility to continue to run the affairs of the church after the end of their terms, contrary to the constitution of the church.
There is a similar application before an Accra High Court filed by David Offei Agyekum and another against the Chairman and Vice Chairman seeking to restrain them from interfering with the administration of the church by accessing church funds until the determination of a substantive suit.
The instant one filed by a former General Secretary of the church claims that Apostle Ebenezer Boahen and Augustus Agyemang Achina were elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the church, and their terms expired on January 28, 2022.
It says per Articles 40(1) and 43(1) of the church’s constitution, no person shall hold the said positions for more than two consecutive terms and further, the combined effects of Articles 37(2) and 67(3) of the same constitution also provides that no person 65 years or above is eligible for re-election into office.
The plaintiff avers that Apostle Ebenezer Boahen, having served two terms in office, and Augustus Agyemang Achina, having attained the age of 65 years, are no longer eligible to run for office upon expiration of their tenures of office.
He argued that in spite of the fact that the Tarkwa High Court has placed an interlocutory injunction on the defendants from interfering with the administration of the church’s affairs and a similar one pending before an Accra High Court, the respondents continue to interfere in the administration of the church in contravention of the church’s constitution.
The affidavit avers that “the respondents have made attempts to access church funds held in the various banks and to further hold meetings to discuss matters relating to elections in the church in such a manner amounting to a violation of the church constitution.”
It further avers that the respondents intend to hold their meetings starting August 27, 2022, and on subsequent dates to be determined and fixed by them inconsistent with the constitution of the church, and have since sent out invitations to all pastors and organs of the church.
The applicant is, therefore, seeking an interlocutory injunction to restrain the respondents, their assigns, privies and agents from interfering with the administration of the church, especially holding general church meetings, collection of tithes and accessing church funds held in various bank accounts, as well as refraining them from any activities that impugn on the administration of the church until the final determination of the substantive suit.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak