Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson has stated that the transformation of the country cannot be achieved by President John Dramani Mahama alone; rather, it is a shared responsibility among all Ghanaians.
Speaking at the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving held at the forecourt of the State House in Accra on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, Cardinal Turkson called on Ghanaians to actively participate in transforming and developing the country, underscoring the need for patriotism, moral integrity, and collective responsibility in the nation-building process.
The service, organised to mark Ghana’s Republic Day, brought together religious leaders, political figures, and thousands of citizens, united in reflection and prayers for peace, progress, and unity.
Cardinal Turkson, a former President of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, stressed that true development cannot be achieved by government alone.
He urged citizens to complement leadership efforts by embracing spiritual values and a sense of civic duty.
“The transformation of this land will not be a task for just the president. With all the good intentions that he may have, the transformation of this land depends on us,” Cardinal Turkson stated.
He emphasised that development is not only about economic growth but also about cultivating virtues such as honesty, compassion, and accountability.
“We must not only be religious but also spiritual. So for all of us gathered here, I just like to tell you that biblical religious says one thing about all of us. It means that our belief in God entails our vision of the world and our place in that vision,” he added.
Cardinal Turkson warned that without a firm commitment to ethical living, Ghana risks being overwhelmed by greed and corruption, with serious consequences for all.
“Whatever vision of Ghana we have gathered here to express, we need to recognise that it will suffice to formulate and express a vision; we need to go ahead and formulate our own place also within the vision. That just means that we are looking for virtues in Ghanaians who develop virtue and live by virtue. Otherwise, greed will dominate this land, and when that happens, there will be negative externalities to be borne by all of us,” he said.
He called on Ghanaians not only to help articulate a national vision but also to define their personal contribution to achieving that vision.
The National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving served as both a moment of spiritual reflection and a reminder that Ghana’s progress depends on unity, shared responsibility, and a renewed commitment to the country’s development by all its people.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
