GHANAIANS URGED TO UNITE (PAGE 29, FEB 19, 2010)

Ghanaians have been advised to unite and discard the notion that certain ethnic groups are superior to others to foster national cohesion.
Preaching at the induction service for diocesan officers of the Association of Methodist Brigades in Tema on Sunday, the Tema Diocesan Bishop of the Methodist Church, Rt Revd Winfred Hadel Yao Ametefe, expressed worry over the issue of ethnicity which had taken root in Ghana.
Preaching on the theme, ‘Oneness in Christ, Lessons from Corinth’, Rt Revd Ametefe stressed that “we did not decide ourselves to belong to specific tribes and parents, neither did we choose the day or year to be born”.
He noted that it was God’s prerogative that people were born into various tribes, adding that the attributes of all the tribes must be collectively exploited towards nation-building.
He observed that Ghanaians must belong to one nation and not be divided, stating that “Ghanaian citizenship should count first and not tribe because tribalism has created inferiority complex in society”.
Rt Revd Ametefe called on the brigade officers to give testimony of themselves publicly to prove that they had been called by God to serve.
He urged them to lay down their lives in the service by spending time and energy to seek spiritual glory for the church and those under their care.
He exhorted them to exercise their leadership with love, reminding the officers that they had been inducted and commissioned to lead and guide their members and be committed to the task ahead of them.
Rt Revd Ametefe appealed to patrons of the brigade to share wisdom, understanding and love with their members to enable them to do the work assigned to them.
The officers inducted included company captains, diocesan council of patrons, company patrons and the diocesan band unit.
There was a parade and band display after Rt Revd Ametefe had inspected a parade mounted by the Association of Methodist Brigades in the Tema Diocese.