IGP urges religious leaders to use sermons to promote peace and prevent religious conflict

Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohunu has urged religious leaders in Ghana to leverage their sermons to promote peace and prevent religious conflicts. Speaking at an engagement with clergy at the National Police Headquarters, the IGP emphasized that religious figures play a vital role in fostering interfaith harmony and strengthening public confidence in the country's justice system.

He proposed three key commitments for religious leaders to strengthen religious tolerance and social cohesion. Firstly, Yohunu requested that leaders dedicate their Friday and Sunday sermons to messages of peace, self-control, and interfaith understanding. He urged Muslim and Christian leaders to use their regular services to speak against religious intolerance and conflict, stating, "Dedicate your Friday sermons in Islam, and Sunday sermons strictly to messages of interfaith harmony, self-control and the danger of religious conflict."

Secondly, the IGP called for visible cooperation between Christian and Islamic leaders, encouraging them to appear together at public events, share meals, and engage communities jointly. He emphasized that such joint activities would send an important message to young people that religious diversity should be a source of strength, not division.

Lastly, the IGP urged religious leaders and their congregations to have confidence in Ghana's statutory justice system and discourage resorting to violence or mob actions. He emphasized that allegations of wrongdoing should be handled through appropriate state institutions rather than through unlawful means. Yohunu warned that Ghana must not take its peace for granted, citing conflicts in other West African nations where tensions had escalated.

He noted that small disputes could become major conflicts if not addressed through dialogue and peaceful means. The IGP stressed that Ghana's relative peace was achieved through generations that chose dialogue and cooperation over violence. He urged religious leaders to use the engagement as an opportunity to reinforce trust in the law and end hostility, stating, "Let us make this matter serve as a clear reminder that the law works and let this meeting mark the end of hostility."