Dr Opuni-Frimpong Backs Church-Led Drive on African Values, Warns Against Political Hijack

Former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has called for church leaders to front the campaign promoting African Cultural Values, warning that political ownership could derail the initiative.

Speaking to journalists in Parliament on Tuesday, Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong said the ongoing advocacy is necessary but must remain non-partisan to gain broad acceptance.

“The campaign to promote Africa Cultural Values is good, but if possible they must allow the church pastors to lead the campaign,” he said. “The way we know them, when the politicians lead the campaign and they are succeeding, they want to hijack it.”

He cautioned that politicizing the drive would invite opposition and collapse the effort. “And then others will also want to fight it and that will be the end,” he noted. “We need a more non-partisan approach.”

Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong also challenged churches to balance growth with impact. “Christian education programs of our churches must balance it. If the church is growing it must have numbers but it must also have quality,” he said.

He stressed that the goal should be raising citizens who contribute to national life. “We must produce active citizens,” he added.

His comments come as Parliament hosts deliberations on the Africa Cultural Values conference, with lawmakers and civil society exploring ways to safeguard family, social, and cultural norms amid global cultural shifts.

Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong urged Parliament to structure the campaign so that religious and traditional leaders, rather than politicians, are the public faces of the advocacy.