The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has said anyone who speaks against Nana Akufo-Addo’s bold Agenda 111 initiative is either a witch or a wizard.
Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante said he is unable to fathom why anyone with a good spirit would oppose the commendable initiative to build 111 hospitals.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Assin Praso Presbyterian Hospital in the Central Region, the Presby Moderator said politicisation of national issues, like the Agenda 111 project, is taking a toll on development.
What beats my imagination in this country is that we find ourselves in abject poverty and someone says he wants to construct 111 health projects and some others are angry. Is it not witchcraft? Some of the things do not make sense to me. He said in Twi.
He stated further: We allow politics to blind us to the point that as people in abject poverty without good hospitals compared to what we have abroad where a hospital is a hospital and a clinic is indeed a clinic,†he said, adding “and someone says he wants to construct 111 hospitals and you are angry out there, it means you are indeed a witch or wizard incarnate. If you are a pastor looking for witchcraft to exorcise please look for this kind of witchcraft.
He was quick to remind the President that he will equally criticise him if he reneged on the project or construct substandard hospital facilities.
Agenda 111 is a good initiative and should have the support of all… anything that will help any African country to develop should be supported by all, and we should stop this NPP-NDC politics and others that are wasteful. Things that will help us to progress should be looked out for. If 111 hospitals and clinics will come to Ghana, let us all go for it to happen. Let us support. If you go out there to lament and talk against it in public it means that you are a witch and should avail yourself for exorcism.
He has advised the numerous pastors claiming to have the ability to exorcise to seek out critics of Agenda 111.
Agenda 111 project aims at providing 111 district hospitals.
The project will also see to the provision of two specialised hospitals – psychiatric hospitals – one for the middle belt, one for the northern belt. The project will also see the redevelopment of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
There will also be the development of six new regional hospitals and one extra regional hospital for the Western Region.