The National Peace Council has clarified that composition of its governing board has no political consideration contrary to claims made by outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey.

Rev. Martey had accused the Deputy Minister of Interior, Jamel Agalga, of attempting to lobby him to take up the chairmanship position of the council which he declined.

Addressing the Press in Accra on Tuesday, Chair of the Council, Prof. Emmanuel Asante, noted that the constitutional Act that established the council does not make it subject to political interference.

“Under normal circumstances, we would not react to an issue that does not directly involve the National Peace Council. The Governing council of the National Peace Council however considers the said statement to be very unfortunate given that it does not only undermine the Act that established the Council; but it also questions the integrity and independence of the Council collectively and its eminent members individually.”

“Unlike the impression created by the statement, members of the Council are not appointed by a ruling government to promote partisan interest,” he added.

The clarification comes a day after the Ministry debunked Rev. Martey’s claims there had been attempts to convince him to chair the council.

Below is what Rev. Martey said:

“I don’t want any political appointment that is the reason why I rejected the Peace Council appointment.  I heard some people also saying that sack him from the Peace Council. I’ve never been a member and I will never ever be a member…Christian Council nominated me to be on that council, I know if I go there something will happen but that thing I don’t know.”

“So I told God about it. I don’t do anything without first consulting my friend the Holy Spirit. Few days to the inauguration of the Peace Council, I had a missed call; I didn’t know the person so I didn’t call back. So the person sent a text message, it was the Deputy Minister of Interior, [James] Agalga. So immediately something said call so I called back. He was then at the house so he came out.”

“First I said, yes this is the Rev. Prof. Martey, moderator of the Presbyterian church of Ghana, but you know something, the Holy Spirit blinded his mind so he didn’t even hear that it was the Presby moderator who was talking to him. The Holy Spirit wanted him to tell me what he has for me, to help me decide whether or not to be a member of the Peace Council. He said he had a meeting with the Minister of Interior and they both agreed that I become the chairman of the Peace Council.” “…Before the inauguration of the thing itself, before members will meet for the first time, he said if you know some people give us their names so we talk to them on your behalf.”

Composition of Peace Council:

Prof.  Asante further also listed the bodies that make up the peace council.

The governing body of the Council is a board consisting of 13 eminent person as follows:

a.One representative from each of the following religious bodies nominated by the bodies concerned,

(i)Catholic Bishops Conference

(ii)Christian Council

(iii)Ghana Pentecostal Council

(iv)National Council for Christian and Charismatic Churches

(v) Ahamadiya Muslim Mission

(vi)Al-sunnah Muslim Mission

(vii)Tijaaniya Muslim Group

(viii)Practitioners of African Traditional Religion

b.two persons nominated by the President one of whom is a woman

c.Two other persons nominated by identifiable groups and

d.One person of the National House of Chiefs

2.The members ofthe Board shall elect one of their number as chairperson.

3.The chairperson and members of the board, shall be appointed by the president in accordance with Article 70 of the Constitution.

“We wish to assure fellow Ghanaians that the National Peace Council shall remain neutral and committed to our central mandate, which is ‘to facilitate and develop mechanisms for conflict prevention, management, resolution and to build sustainable peace in the country,’” he added.

source:citifmonline