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Is Christian Council happy with Ofori-Atta quoting, abusing the Bible? – Selorm Branttie asks

A vice president of Imani Africa, Selorm Branttie has lashed out at the Christian Council of Ghana for allegedly being silent while the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta quotes the Bible as and when it suits his purpose to impose hardship on Ghanaians.

Selorm Brantie and Ken Ofori-Atta

The policy analyst on governance and economics took to his Facebook page to accuse Ofori-Atta of abusing the word of God to coerce Ghanaians after recklessly running the country’s economy aground.

He also wondered how the Christian Council has no problem with the government’s continued sinking of millions into the building of a National Cathedral while the country grapples with an unprecedentedly terrible economic crisis.

“Is the Christian Council happy that the Finance Minister proposed in his budget that upwards of GHC 200m has been allocated for the cathedral?

“Is he also happy with the way the finance minister quoted the Bible within a paragraph of unleashing economic terror?

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“Are they happy with his abuse of the Holy Word?” Branttie asked in a post on Monday, December 5, 2022.

He then went further in a separate post on the same Facebook page, to accuse the clergy of hypocrisy, saying they are a disappointment.

“Jesus will be ashamed of Ghana's clergy and their hypocrisy.”

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Branttie’s discontentment stems from the announcement of a Debt Exchange Programme by the Finance Minister as part of debt restructuring which is expected to pave way for an IMF bailout.

Ofori-Atta is noted for quoting the Bible to back his points, especially during budget presentations and announcements of unfriendly government policies to Ghanaians.

On Sunday, December 4, 2022, he quoted 1st Samuel 30:19 which reads "nothing was missing, small or great. I say to you, nothing will be lost, nothing will be missing, and nothing will be broken. We will, together, recover all” to buttress the debt exchange programme announcement.

Branttie is not the only analyst who is not pleased with what he refers to as an abuse of the word of God by the Finance Minister. Economist Dr Theo Acheampong, a political risk consultant has also faulted him for the same reason, saying Ofori-Atta’s continuous use of the Bible in the manner he does it amounts to a mockery of God.

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"Why do we mock God like this? Some financial institutions and investors are about to lose out and you say nothing is 'missing, lost or broken'? Abufusem – e dey bore waaa!" Dr Acheampong posted on Facebook on Monday.

There has been hopelessness and lamentations across Ghana following the announcement by the minister to local bondholders that there would be losses on interest payments under the Domestic Debt Exchange programme.

The exchange programme is part of the debt restructuring programme that the government needs to initiate to get the $3 billion bailout loan from the IMF.

In the controversial announcement, the finance minister explained Ghana will swap existing local-currency debt with four new bonds maturing in 2027, 2029, 2032, and 2037.

“The annual coupon on all these new bonds will be set at 0% in 2023, 5% in 2024, and 10% from 2025 until maturity,” he said in the video posted late Sunday on the Ministry of Information’s page, which was further elaborated the next day at a press conference.

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Meanwhile, the minority Members of Parliament and some worker unions have expressed their vehement opposition to the debt exchange programme.

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