A legal practitioner and the National President of Okuapemman Past Students Association, Lawyer Stephen Asante Bekoe has advised journalists and other social media practitioners to avoid publishing lies for or against the presidential candidates and all other political candidates as that will only result in heightening tension and stress in the country.
He stated that many of the so-called prophecies being spewed are criminally offensive under the Electronic Communications Act of Ghana, 2008, Act 775 and such so-called prophets can be arrested and prosecuted for publishing and spreading falsehood, causing fear and panic among the citizens of Ghana.
He cited the example of a “Prophet” who said a presidential candidate would be shot or assasinated before the elections take place and said this clearly amounts to causing fear and panic.
Lawyer Asante Bekoe, who is also a member of the board of the Ghana Library Authority wondered how one God or one Holy Spirit will tell some prophets that candidate John Mahama will win the elections and in another breath, tell another group of prophets that candidate Dr. Alhaji Bawumia will win.
Are these prophets telling us that there are different gods with different foresights? What is even more dangerous and worrying is the fact that these so-called prophets are now putting up their church buildings in contention to be burnt or demolished should their prophecies fail.
These so-called prophets and pastors raise funds from their church members to put up church buildings and then they unilaterally put them up for gambling in their selfish quests to gain popularity.
Lawyer Asante Bekoe stated that Ghana has come too far with its democratic dispensation and the people are more discerning now to be relying on so-called prophecies. Prophecies are expected to bring positive developments and promote the well being of the church members and not to create tension, fear and panic.
Lawyer Asante Bekoe observed that this unfortunate trend is growing among Christians and not moslems and other religions in Ghana and advised the relevant authorities to hold their members in check. He stated that in the United States of America, political campaigns are feverishly going on but to a large extent, the candidates are focusing on issues affecting the country and not individuals or personalities.
He further advised the candidates to refrain from funding these so-called prophets to spew the lies.
