Communications Officer for the opposition National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi, has descended on the former Methodist Bishop for Obuasi, Stephen Bosomtwe Ayensu for criticizing former President John Dramani Mahama by saying that the NDC government will cancel the Electronic Transactions Levy, in 2025 if it comes to power.
Sammy Gyamfi, described the former Bishop of the Obuasi Diocese, the Very Rev. Bosomtwe Ayensu as “a mad person, vile, unintelligent NPP propagandist parading in a cassock, adding, ‘’No rational man of God will do this and unintelligent and not fit to lead a church…”,
The former Bishop’s crime was for saying Mr. Mahama would not even get the opportunity to come to power to cancel the policy.
According to him, he does not see Bishop Bosomtwe as a man of God, but rather as a politician and a member of the NPP (New Patriotic Party).
‘’Rev Ayensu does not set a good example as a member of a distinguished group of people; the clergy, adding that whereas most members of the clergy are circumspect in their choice of words, especially on political matters, the Methodist bishop’s conduct is a far cry from such notable persons’’ he said.
The NDC Communications Officer’s comments follow the statement made by the Bishop on the cancellation of the E-Levy implementation when reacting to the issue on Okay fm, Accra after several NDC members in a series of posts on social media “insulted” the outspoken Bishop.
Mahama Comments
Mr. Mahama last week, when addressing the NDC members on the theme ‘Ghana at the crossroads’ said the E-levy was a distortionary and burdensome tax that only forces Ghanaians to pay more while suffering.
According to him, “Unfortunately in the face of this self-inflicted economic catastrophe, this government against all sound advice has decided to introduce the E-Levy that heaps more suffering on Ghanaians”.
“A new national democratic congress government, God willing, with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana, in 2025 will repeal the E-Levy act,” he stated.
However, Bishop Ayensu speaking to journalists at the Methodist Church’s 25th Synod held at the Mount Zion Methodist Church at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region described the pronouncement by the former president and his opposition party as backward and an attempt to sway voters.
He reiterated that the predicaments the country finds itself in will take only prudent economic decisions to get out and that is what the e-levy is being taken from the citizenry to solve.
He believes strongly that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is on the right track to get the nation from the wrecks and shocks of the Covid pandemic coupled with the Russia-Ukraine war.
“So, we should all endeavor to pay so the government could use the accrued money for development,” he advised.
Sammy Insults
But, Sammy Gyamfi accused the Methodist bishop of using his pulpit to engage in partisan politics instead of disseminating the word of God.
He further stressed that offering a dissenting opinion to someone’s view should not culminate in the raining of insults, particularly from “rational man of God”.
“John Dramani Mahama has registered his displeasure for a government policy which he feels is very unpopular even among some NPP members and if you think otherwise, you can state your claim without subjecting him (Mahama) to public ridicule and hatred.
“The NDC as a responsible opposition has every right to state our position if we feel certain policies of the government will unnecessarily burden Ghanaians and also provide an alternative solution to that. If you think or feel otherwise, you can equally comment without attacking or making disparaging comments about the person of the former President John Dramani Mahama,” Sammy Gyamfi fumed.
The NDC National Communications Officer thus called on Methodist Church Ghana to “boldly come out and dissociate themselves from the comments of this Methodist bishop turned NPP Communicator.”
Sammy Gyamfi, further lamented that the conduct of Bishop Bosomtwe Ayensu is a total disgrace to the Methodist Church.
He further requested that the headquarters of the Methodist church should sack Bishop Bosomtwe immediately for indulging in politics by the use of the Methodist Church platform which was meant for the word of God.
– BY Daniel Bampoe