"Church leaders must ensure security in the church premises" – Rev Opuni-Frimpong

General News of Sunday, May 26, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-05-26

Current threats and attacks against some churches, particularly in neighboring Burkina Faso, are an appeal to Ghana's church leaders to increase security in their places of worship.

Reverend Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, Lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Science and Technology Kwame Nkrumah, said that the safety of church members in the premises of the The church had been taken for granted over the years and it was necessary to re-consider these security issues.

"With the terrorist threats currently weighing on churches in some West African countries, including Ghana, church leaders must be much more concerned about the safety of their members. and their facilities, "he said.

He added that the recent terrorist attacks against churches in Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso and elsewhere had to define the agenda of the security strategy.

"While trusting God to ensure the safety of his people, we must also take responsibility for our actions. The approach must remain a divine intervention and a human action.

Addressing Ghana's news agency in Accra, Pastor Opuni-Frimpong, former secretary-general of the Ghana Christian Council, said: "In times like this, the training of our Lord Jesus Christ: watch and pray, must remain our guiding principle. "

He said church leaders, bailiffs and other workers needed to be trained in some basic skills in safety, body language and moving people to safety.

Closed circuit television (CCTV) equipment and other security gadgets must be installed in the church premises, while new members and visitors must be seated safely, "until their dedication be trustworthy, "he said.

"The impression that churches must take care of their own security against recent terrorist threats can not be a serious option. Church leaders, members and facilities must be protected from any form of attack by state security agencies, said Pastor Opuni-Frimpong.

He added that state security should even be extended to other religious bodies, as Muslims have been attacked by terrorist groups in some countries.

"The various security agencies must, as a matter of urgency, engage in a national dialogue on the security of our country, especially in the face of terrorist threats and attacks."

Education and correct information on the activities of terrorists should be given to, among others, religious leaders, university leaders, hotel managers and media companies, in order to avoid panic and false alerts.

"Security agencies may need to consider providing the public with additional telephone numbers on purpose to obtain information about the suspicious activities of terrorists."

"Christian and Muslim leaders must pay more attention to interfaith relations."

"We are first and foremost Ghanaians before becoming members of our various faith communities. Religious leaders must strengthen our bond of cooperation and show the world that we will not allow innocent Ghanaian blood to be shed solely because of our religious, ethnic and political affiliations, our differences and our expressions, "said the Reverend Opuni-Frimpong.