Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister, has lauded the peaceful co-existence among Muslims and Christians, particularly, in the employment sectors, saying such cordiality has strengthened the prevailing peace in the country.
“Muslims and Christians have lived in peace since the introduction of Islam and Christianity in the fifteenth century,” she said and expressed the hope nothing could disturb the long-existing relationship between the two religious’ faiths.
The Regional Minister gave commendations when she addressed the opening session of an extraordinary general meeting of the Conference of Regional Chief Imams of Ghana in Sunyani.
Mad Owusu-Banahene said besides the socio-cultural functions of leading prayers and presiding over funerals, marriages and naming ceremonies, Imams also served as development agents, and they were expected to partner with the government to facilitate development in the Muslim communities.
However, the only way Imams could play these developmental functions is when they are united and see themselves as one unit irrespective of their socio-cultural, tribal, sectorial and political background.
Touching on education, Madam Owusu-Banahene urged Muslim leaders and parents to prioritise girl-child education and asked them to ensure that Muslim girls remained in schools.
Muslim parents must also try to provide their girl-child with the basic educational needs to sustain their interest in schools, she added.
She also advised Muslim parents to collaborate with the Islamic Education Unit to ensure quality teaching and learning in Islamic Schools.
Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda, the Presidential Coordinator, Zongo and Inner Cities Development Secretariat, office of the President, noted that poverty, high illiteracy and diseases remained the ‘common enemy’ of Muslims.
He, therefore, asked the various sects in Islam to bury their differences and forge ahead in unity to be able to tackle the challenges confronting the Zongo communities more proactively.
Alhaji Banda, who represented Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, advised the Zongo communities to prioritise and self-initiate development projects to attract the support of the government and other development partners.
Alhaji Suallah Abdallah Quandah, the Executive Secretary of the Bono Regional Peace Council, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that bringing the Imams together would promote peace among the various Muslim sects, and push forward development in the Zongo communities.
