The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has cautioned that Ghana’s moral and democratic foundations are being eroded by inequality, corruption, and recurring violence.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Plenary Assembly of the GCBC at the Unity Centre in Damongo on Monday, November 10, he said Ghana’s international reputation as a beacon of democracy and peace masks a troubling reality of moral and social decline.
Most Rev. Gyamfi noted that while Ghana continues to be admired across West Africa for its democratic achievements, including nine general elections and four peaceful power transitions since 1992, recent developments point to growing instability. He expressed concern that the 2024 elections revealed deep cracks in the nation’s political culture, with independent observers describing the polls as among the most violent in the Fourth Republic. Police reports confirmed 106 arrests linked to post-election disturbances, alongside several deaths and numerous injuries.
“Democracy without conscience is fragile,” he warned. “Without truth and justice, it risks becoming ritual rather than renewal.”
His remarks come as investigations continue into election-related violence recorded between 2020 and 2024. The Minister for the Interior, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, recently disclosed that 21 suspects have been identified in connection with the deaths of 15 people and injuries to 40 others during those elections. Four suspects are currently on bail, five are on remand, and warrants have been issued for the arrest of the remaining individuals.
According to the Minister, the prosecutions demonstrate government’s commitment to accountability and justice for victims of electoral violence.
Most Rev. Gyamfi’s comments underscore the Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s growing concern over Ghana’s political climate and its implications for the nation’s moral and democratic future.
Leave a Reply