Edward Karewe, General Secretary of the Agricultural Workers Union
The Secretary General of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Edward Karewe, has urged Ghanaians to work towards strengthening the economy rather than praying for divine intervention.
Karewe, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said to revive the economy, there was need to revamp institutions to ensure they were efficient, effective and strategic towards economic growth and development.
“The things for the spirit are there. We are burdening God with things that are not right, that’s why we are here. A lot of things are not spiritually motivated. You don’t pray for people to change, you tell them how to change,” he said.
He further said issues like illegal mining, corruption and economic slump must be addressed at a human level rather than hiding behind religiosity, adding that prayer alone is not enough to address the galamsey problem in the country.
He said religion plays an important role in creating values, building ethical frameworks, fostering a sense of community and cultivating morality in people’s daily lives and this should not be taken for granted.
The GAWU Secretary General added that this should not be a reason to tolerate poor attitudes of people towards the development of the country.
He said it was important for Ghanaian workers to demonstrate positive attitudes to stimulate economic growth, while those slowing down the country’s growth must be punished.
“Throughout the Bible, people ask God for help with things they feel they can’t do. I’ve never seen anywhere in the Bible where they see something and don’t do it, sit down and pray to God and pray that God will change it,” he said.
Karewe further said religion is important but people should not hide behind religion to destroy the country.
