General Overseer of the Calvary Charismatic Center (CCC), Pastor Ransford Obeng has urged Ghanaians to strictly adhere to measures the Government has announced to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
He believes that while Ghanaians adapt to these measures and also remain steadfast in seeking God’s intervention through prayers, Ghana will soon overcome the global calamity.
Already, President Akufo-Addo has called on the citizenry to come together and observe a National Day of Fasting and Prayer on Wednesday, 25th March, 2020.
Ghana has recorded 53 confirmed cases of Coronavirus with two deaths after the 26 new cases were confirmed among the 1,030 people who are under mandatory quarantine in the country after arriving at the Kotoka International Airport hours to the deadline for the closure of the country’s borders.
Government has banned all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities and other related events as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country.
There has been an intensified sensitization on personal hygiene, especially frequent hand-washing with soap under running water, covering the mouth and nose with a handkerchief or a tissue paper while coughing or sneezing as well as the observance of social distancing.
Speaking during an encounter with journalists in Kumasi, Pastor Ransford Obeng emphasized the need to adhere to these protocols in order to stay safe.
“All of us should observe the rules and regulations the health authorities in Ghana are giving to us. One of the things I want to say is that it is a very good thing that the President of Ghana has done because anytime there is a national crisis, the only thing you can do is to call upon Christians to pray because God is the one who is the author of ideas. And so, I am asking all Christians in Ghana to join the President to fast and pray on Wednesday, calling upon our God that God will give our Scientists and the Doctors wisdom and knowledge to be able to develop a vaccine to be able to conquer this virus,” he said.
He is however hopeful that Ghana must not look outside for solutions to the current situation, since the solution is in the country if the citizenry continues to pray.
Shut down of Churches hurting but best measure against COVID-19 spread
The CCC Pastor said although the closure of Churches, as part of measures to halt social gathering following the outbreak of the pandemic, will have ripple effects on their operations, he maintained it was the best decision by the Government.
Some well-established Churches that employ hundreds in the running of these places of worship have begun bearing the brunt as they try to explore non-existent alternatives to pay salaries should the closure continues.
According to Pastor Ransford Obeng, the CCC like other well-organized Churches employs about 120 people whose daily bread comes from the payroll of the Church.
He indicated that “For example, if you come to CCC like this with a big compound, we have over 15 security officers that we have employed. In fact, in this local Church here, we have 120 people on our payroll. So the people are still working, you have to assure them and they will be paid at the end of the month, yet we are not having an income.”
Pastor Obeng added that the pandemic was man-made since the world has gone against the laws and the regulations of God.
“I believe this is a wake-up call for the whole world to know that we should not mess up with the things God has set in place. We should obey,” he remarked.
He maintained that Ghanaians must continue to seek the face of God in order to overcome the current situation.