Bernard Allotey Jacobs, the former Central Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has recounted how he was ‘axed’ from the Catholic Church during a harvest.

Allotey Jacobs, who claims to be a former Catholic said, he was “baptized and confirmed in Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church, Mamprobi, in 1965; when I was in elementary Form Three.”

He said, he was sacked during one of the harvests of the Catholic Church.
Jacobs explained that, during the harvest, he saw a very tiny fowl which he was interested in, so, like the normal ‘Chinese sales’ during such programmes, he bade for the fowl at a higher price, thinking that he will get someone to give a counteroffer but nobody did and since he did not have the money at hand, he had to exit using a different door of the chapel.

“I was sacked during harvest. They brought tiny fowl and when they raised the bird in the church during the Chinese sales, I mentioned a higher price for it and nobody countered my offer.

“They offered me the fowl and since I couldn’t pay for it, I used an exit the church which was at a corner and run away from the church,” Bernard Allotey Jacobs narrated amid laughter on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' Morning show on Wednesday, November 10.

Jacobs was reacting to some comments by the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, Most Rev. Philip Naameh, during his speech at this year’s plenary assembly of the Association in Wa on Monday, November 8.

Most Rev Naameh said, “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.''

He asked; ''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?''

''Those who are entrusted with power that comes from our collective will must know that what they do with that (power) shapes what we all will become in the future," he cautioned the government and politicians.

Allotey Jacobs who cannot comprehend the basis for the Catholic Bishop’s comment said, ''Since the time we gained independence from Gold Coast to Ghana, have we been satisfied with every government that comes to power? As human beings, we are never satisfied.”

“. . . This country has come very far. Nobody, from Kwame Nkrumah's era, can say Ghana is developed . . . We have never been satisfied. It's a fact!'', he exclaimed.

Allotey Jacobs, then asked, ". . . do I have to say that the church's collection, tithes and dues are dwindling, so maybe from that angle, he (President of the Bishops' Conference) sees that people are suffering?''