Critical Catholic Bishops are being citizens, not spectators – Sheikh Arimiyao Shaibu

• Catholic Bishops gave a damning verdict on governance issues this week

• The group principally lamented poverty and corruption

• An Islamic leader has saluted their decision to be active citizens

The National Chief Imam’s spokesperson has stated that a recent criticism aimed at the government by the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference was a case of the bishops acting on the words of the president.

Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu said the bishops were living an admonition by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his inaugural address when he tasked Ghanaians to be citizens and not spectators.

“In the President’s inaugural speech, he made a very profound statement that provides grounds for everybody in a very responsible manner to criticize government… that we should be citizens and not spectators.

“Meaning that as citizens we should not look on just as spectators do when a match is ongoing, but that we should be citizens who carry the responsibility to even keep the government on its toes., make inputs where it arises and in my view, this is the grounds on which the Catholic Bishops come out with such statements,” he said when he appeared on the Thursday, November 11 edition of the GTV Breakfast show.

Asked about the rebuttals that the statement which lamented poverty and corruption, he said he had not read or heard the said rebuttals, but added, “For me, there is so many ways by which you can correct somebody without necessarily insulting the person.”



What the GCBC president said on corruption

President of the Catholic Bishops umbrella body, Most Rev. Philip Naameh, a gathering of the GCBC held in Wa, capital of the Upper West Region earlier this week, spoke in critical terms about issues of governance in the country.

“Though poverty stares us in the face, it appears lost to those with power. The expressed commitment of the president of the republic to protect the public purse, a promise that citizens welcomed, seems to be an illusion now.

"Are those managing the public purse not concerned about waste and misapplication of resources that belong to all Ghanaians? Can this be referred to as irresponsible use of power or the lack of compassion and empathy?”