Bishop Stephen R. Bosomtwe Ayensu
The Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has hailed a Press Release issued by the Methodist Church Ghana in which the church has distanced itself from the conduct of one of its own, the Rt. Rev. Stephen R. Bosomtwe Ayensu, a past Bishop of the Obuasi Diocese.
Bishop Stephen R. Bosomtwe Ayensu, lashed out former President John Dramani Mahama, over his recent comment of repealing the E-levy when the NDC assumes power.
The Bishop’s said Mr. Mahama would not even get the opportunity to come to power to cancel the policy.
After his comments, the NDC launched attacks on the Bishop which the Communications Officer for the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, among other officers heavily descended on the Methodist Bishop for criticizing former President John Dramani Mahama.
To set the records straight, the church in a statement issued on May 10, 2022, said the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, is the official Spokesperson of the Church.
“The Methodist Church Ghana wishes to notify the general public that the Presiding Bishop is the official Spokesperson of the Church. We, therefore appeal to our noble friends of the media not to draw the name of The Methodist Church Ghana into the alleged statements made by the past Bishop and currently the Superintendent Minister of the Amakom Circuit of the Kumasi Diocese,” portion of the statement issued by the church read.
NDC Praises Church
However, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah in a statement said the comments made by the Bishop were attack on the former President.
‘’This latest attack forms part of a litany of vitriolic attacks launched by the same man against the National Democratic Congress and leading figures and functionaries of the party. One of such attacks for instance was his unfounded claim that Former President Mahama and the NDC would cancel the Free Senior High School policy in the event the party won the 2020 General Election’’.
‘’We wish to state that at no point did the party or its leadership assume that the church lent its support or endorsement whatsoever to the regrettable conduct of the Rt. Rev. Bosomtwe Ayensu who often took advantage of the noble platform offered him by the church to engage in scurrilous attacks on leading figures of the NDC as though he was on a political campaign platform’’.
‘’The NDC wishes to reaffirm its cordial working relationship with the Methodist Church of Ghana which has been a worthy partner in our democratic and developmental journey as a nation. Indeed, several leaders of the NDC have been and are still devout members of the Methodist Church’’.
‘’Notably, President John Evans Atta Mills and Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, both of blessed memory were members of the Methodist Church in good standing until their passing. Similarly, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang who is the immediate-past Running Mate to the flagbearer of the NDC in the 2020 General Election is also a member of the Methodist Church’’.
‘’The party hereby assures the Methodist Church that we shall continue to hold the church in high esteem as a strong pillar of development in the areas of education, and health, among others in our dear country, as we have trusted the church to remain a non-aligned stakeholder, a neutral arbiter and the moral compass of our society’’ the statement underscored.
BY Daniel Bampoe