Opposition party condemns prosecution of Christ Embassy leaders over controversial COVID-19 protocols

The opposition political party in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has condemned the prosecution of Christ Embassy leaders by the government of Ghana on accusation of not complying with the coronavirus control protocols by members of the Church. It was noted that the realities of coronavirus infection are still being contested in the international community, including the effectiveness or the need for the guidelines being enforced in various countries of the world. The party also emphasized the deliberate disregard of coronavirus protocols by political leaders in Ghana, including Nigeria, during electioneering campaigns. It was attested that the disregard of the coronavirus protocols by politicians who assemble huge crowds of their supporters at campaign rallies have not been confirmed to have caused any spike in coronavirus infection or spread of the virus. Thus, the political campaign crowd further questioned the beliefs about the virus or the need for restrictions. Since the assembling of large crowds during electioneering campaigns by political leaders in disregard to coronavirus guidelines have not been confirmed to cause a spike in coronavirus spread in Africa, why would the same political leaders hunt religious leaders who organise faithful believers for worship and use state agencies to prosecute them for similar actions perpetuates by the political leaders which have not been confirmed to had worsen the virus spread.

Apparently, the National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, berated the government of Ghana for the prosecution of religious leaders.  Gyamfi had declared that the prosecution of four people on charges of violating restrictions on public gathering and organising ‘Pneumatica Night’ in the Christ Embassy attended by 10,000 people where a majority participants were not wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, is ‘hypocritical’.

The NDC National Communication Officer argued that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), organised campaign rallies and mass political gatherings in the build up to the 2020 general elections in the country at the time COVID-19 was at its peak and restrictions on public gatherings were in full force. Gyamfi further argued that he does not understand why the government will prosecute leaders of Christ Embassy, except, perhaps, for hatred of the church.

Guamfi in a Facebook post, declared: “It’s a sacrilege and in fact, the height of hypocrisy for President Akufo-Addo to prosecute leaders of the Christ Embassy church for holding a program to preach Christ and heal the sick, at a time legal restrictions on public gatherings had lapsed, when he, President Akufo-Addo, the NPP and the NDC of which I am a member, held rallies and mass political gatherings in the run-up to the 2020 general elections, when COVID was at its peak and restrictions on public gatherings were in full force.”

The actions of the Ghanaian government have continued to generate controversies. Some have argued that the government was taking such stern actions at a time the statistics on coronavirus shows steady decline of new infections. Secondly, the African continent has recorded a high rate of recoveries from the coronavirus infection. Apparently, coronavirus has not posed serious threats to countries in Africa as in Europe and America.

In certain climes, some experts have challenged the coronavirus propaganda and the associated fears created over the pandemic by promoters of the virus, in addition to the associated vaccines agenda.

The Christ Embassy Pneumatic night was held on Friday, April 30. The police claimed that Church leaders did not inform the police authorities of the activity, which made them not provide any security for the participants. However, there was no report of any casualty at the event that had required the intervention of the police. Accordingly, the absence of the police at the vigil made no difference.

The Police, however, said they have commenced investigations into the accusation of violation of the COVID-19 protocols by the leaders of Church in Ghana.

The four persons being prosecuted for alleged violation of coronavirus protocols have been granted bail in the sum of GH¢320,000. They were bailed at the Circuit Court in Accra, presided by Her Honour, Madam Ellen Offei Ayeh.

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The persons being prosecuted by the Ghanaian police include Alex Asomani, Wilson Delali, and Agyeman Kumi Nutifafa, members of the Christ Embassy Church, and Edmond Dapaaah, manager of the Fantasy Dome facility at the Trade Fair Centre, where the event was held.

The three members of the Church were granted bail in the sum of GH¢80,000 with two sureties each. The court ordered that one of the sureties must be a public/civil servant earning not less than GH¢1400.

The accused pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime for failing or failure to comply with the imposed protocols contrary to Regulation 4 of the Imposition of Restrictions (coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic) (No. 16) instrument, 2020 Executive Instrument (E.I.) 395 and Section 6 of the imposition of the restriction Act, 2020 (Act 1012) of Ghana.

The opposition NDC took the hypocritical argument further, questioning the relevance of the coronavirus protocols after vaccines have been rolled out. The argument further extended to the efficacy of the vaccines or otherwise the ulterior agenda of the coronavirus pandemic, itself.

The case was adjourned to May 24.

While waiting for the resumption of hearing on the case, the mass movement in Ghana has mobilized extensively for wide protests on a demand of “Fix The Country Ghana.”

The Police insisted on enforcing the court injunction they secured to prevent the #FixMotherGhana protest.

It was gathered 13 police vehicles were stationed at the protest venue, Independence Square, to intimidate and frighten the protesters and scare people away.  The people, however, switched to online protest on various social media platforms. The organizers subsequently urged Ghanaians to wear black shirts and post messages in solidarity with the protest, requesting as many people as possible to join the protest.