Media urged to show decorum in election reportage

By Edmund Smith-Asante

Dr Lawrence Tetteh

World- renowned Evangelist, Dr Lawrence Tetteh, has urged the media to exercise utmost decorum in their reporting of the 2016 election to maintain the peace in the country.

“In this year’s election, I will strongly urge the media to try as much as possible not to give credence to insults. We all have a collective responsibility but the onus lies on the media more than anyone of us. We must be sensitive in our approach, we must also be mindful of our reporting so that we don’t divide the nation but rather bring the nation together,” he said.

Dr Tetteh was addressing the media during a press conference last Tuesday to launch a five-day Wesleyan Revival being organised by the Accra Diocese of the Methodist Church, Ghana, from today to Sunday, March 13, 2016, at which he would be the guest preacher.

He asked the media to focus on positive reporting and be responsible in its approach to its work to ensure peaceful election just as the revival programme was aimed at maintaining the peace by uniting all political parties under one umbrella.

Answering a question from the Daily Graphic on whether messages that would be preached would be directed at politicians, Dr Tetteh said: “For me preaching the gospel is paramount. I am going to preach the undiluted word of God.”

Wesleyan revival to unite country

Throwing more light on the revival, which would be held at the Independence Square and open to people of all faiths, the Accra Diocesan Bishop of the Methodist Church, the Rt Rev. Samuel Kofi Osabutey, said the event had been specifically scheduled to take place after Ghana's Independence Day celebrations because it was aimed at uniting the country in the run-up to the election this year.

“The purpose of this revival is to bring the nation Ghana together so that we can share the word of God with them, ask the Lord to forgive us as a nation, as we prepare to enter the sphere of Election 2016,” he said.

He said although the church aimed at winning souls for the Lord, that was not their ultimate goal.

“We believe that it is transformed human beings who transform societies, that is why we have chosen the theme, “Washed in the blood of Jesus,” Bishop Osabutey stated.

“Our other aim is to ensure that all our political leaders are brought together under one umbrella so we are expecting the leadership of all the major political parties in the country to participate in the evening programmes that begin at 6:30,” he added.

According to the Diocesan Bishop, the leadership of the various political parties would also be expected to participate in a national thanksgiving service that will crown the revival on Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m.

There would also be daily seminars from today till Friday that would be addressed by an average of three speakers from various professions, aimed at influencing Christians in the country to use their Christian principles in all their endeavours.

He expressed the hope that the revival would be opened by the Vice-President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, while the President John Mahama would be present at the closing session and thanksgiving service.

Expectations

Answering questions from the media, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Very Rev. Ashford Nii Yartey Quarcoo, said people should expect the grace of God and His saving grace for a new life that would reflect on all that they did.

Writer’s email: edmund.asante@graphic.com.gh

This story was first published by the Daily Graphic on March 9, 2016