Muslims on Tuesday night congregated at Parliament, to observe the 13th Night of Power, a commemorative day in the course of the month-long Ramadan fast.
Hosted by the Muslim Caucus of Parliament, it was on the theme: ‘Peace, Unity and Tolerance: The Roadmap to Prosperous Ghana.’
Believed to be the night on which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed, its blessing is said to be more than a thousand months of worshipping.
According to various Islamic teachings, the night of power comes barely ten days to the end of the Ramadan fast.
In attendance was the Vice President, Dr Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, representatives of the Chief Imam, and the Speaker of Parliament, the diplomatic corps and the general Muslim population.
The Night of Power was used to say prayers for the Executive, the Legislature, the Judiciary, the Electoral Commission, the security services, and all actors in the electoral space to execute their duties without fear or favour.
Vice President Bawumia asked the Muslim Ummah to use the occasion to pray for the blessings of Allah to preserve the peace of Ghana before, during and after the elections.
“As we intensify our prayers
in these final days of Ramadan and seeking the immense blessings of this unique night, let us continue to remember our loved ones, citizens and our nation in prayers.
“As we gear up for the general election this year, it is even more important for all of us, especially members of the nation’s dominant religious groups to seek the favour of God to preserve the peace of our country,” the Vice President said.
Ghanaians, irrespective of their political, religious or ethnic inclinations, the Vice President said must see themselves as one people with a common destiny and work towards the betterment of the country.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, in a message delivered on his behalf, urged the Muslim community and the general Ghanaian population to uphold the principles of peace, unity and tolerance.
According to the Speaker, the importance of those values must not just be in the context of the electoral process, but as the bedrock upon which a prosperous Ghana must be built.
“Today, I stand before you not just as the Speaker of this Parliament, but as a Ghanaian citizen, deeply devoted to the future of our nation,” Mr Bagbin stated.
He rallied Ghanaians: “Let us pledge to be ambassadors of peace, champions of unity, and exemplars of tolerance. Let us vote with our conscience and accept the outcome with grace.”
Chairman of the Muslim Caucus of Parliament and MP for Yendi, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama, called on Ghanaians to remain united in their resolve to see Ghana as a single unit being run democratically.
“We should not allow differences in our opinions and choices to become stronger than our desire to hold our country together. No nation in the world can prosper without peace. It is, however, important for us to know and understand that Peace is a bio-product of justice that is based on equity, equality, tolerance, honesty, and respect for human dignity.”
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
