THEME: DIVINE RESCUE FOR A SINKING SHIP 

To the blessed people of God—the chosen and redeemed nation of Ghana—thus says the Lord: “Ghana is sinking. The ship of state is about to sink. Ghana is now making distress calls. Who will come to her rescue?” 

Only God can save Ghana. God is ready and will save to the country from sinking. While the European Union and the offer of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) assistance, let it be known: this is not, and cannot be, the answer. It’s time for the Church in particular, and the nation as a whole, to rise together to call upon God to rescue the nation from the deep waters and destruction. Thanks be to God, the Church in Ghana has already given the signal: the EPA assistance is not the answer. According to the Most High God, the ship of state is far gone into the deep waters of bankruptcy. This bankruptcy is the song currently being sung in secret by the leaders but is hidden from the people. 

The interpretation is that the reason and pressure behind the resort to the EPA arrangements is that the nation is gone bankrupt. 

Thus says the Lord, “all eyes of the world are turned round to behold the ship that once stood proud as it enters deep waters, fearing it may soon be seen no more. ‘The cry and fall on European Partnership Arrangement salvage package is nothing than selling the hen and the golden eggs together for a mere pittance of budget deficit assistance.’ 

The EPA salvage regime is tantamount to exchanging Ghana’s industrial, agricultural, and employment possibilities and the prospects of economic development and buoyancy for short-term lifting of budget deficit pressures. To suggest that Ghana has no choice but to submit to the tunes of the European Union Economic because they assist with budget deficit financing is to sign an Economic Destruction Warrant. 

Surely, the Mahama Administration is hard-pressed due to carless, abandoned, and apparently unscrupulous piling of loans—both domestic and foreign. But even if that is not the case and indeed loans are entered into after judicious study and structural arrangements are put in place to balance debt payment, schedule with income generating capacity and receipts schedule, it will still be necessary to have a well thought out National Resource Base Development, Utilization and Income, Employment Plan and Social Impact Plan—before setting out on loans, deficit financing, and budgeting controls. For example, the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 62:8-9 

“The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: But they that have gathered it shall eat it and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.” (KJV) 

It is unfortunate in this regard, that the custodians of our nation—politicians, governments, business folks, chiefs, church leaders, academics, professionals, and public servants—have over the years ran the economy on short term political, economic, and group interest benefits.  And that also has been further undermined, disrupted, and destroyed through corruption, theft, and robbery.  The people’s leaders and their governments and agents have no regard for the people’s well-being, welfare, progress, and happiness. Political party manifestos; governmental conduct, management style, public policies, and execution have never followed a consciously drawn social policy goals, objectives, and well-being of the people.  Policies such as National Health Insurance, Educational Capitation Grant, and Open and Free Access to Education have not been with commitment and diligence.  In fact, our politicians, businessmen, chiefs, professionals, and public servants will rather assist, aid, and facilitate the transfer and control of national assets (including labor, minerals, and forests) to foreign companies and strangers than indigenous citizens. 

Hence, loans and public debt are indiscriminately and unscrupulously arranged to the benefit of ‘strangers’—so-called foreign investors and the determinant of those who own the resources and labor in the mines, factories, fields, shops, and streets. The workers and consumers of Ghana, who work in the mines, factories, offices, the fields, shops, and streets and who at the same time buy the imported foreign goods for which EPA seeks sheltered market HAVE NO VOICE, not even agents, and spokespersons in the courts and corridors of power in the land. 

In such a compromised environment, the ideal of a ‘government of the people, for the people, and by the people’s, remains purely academic. To add insult to injury, we live in a state where votes are bought, votes are corrupted not just with empty promises, slogans, and lies—but the electoral process hijacked with rigging, false entries, and false declaration by corrupt, bought over, and commandeered officials. Political party officials, electoral commissioners, administrators, officials, the police, military, judiciary, chiefs, and religious leaders can and have all been invariably enjoined into the UNHOLY CONSIPIRACY to rob, steal, kill, and destroy the people, the economy, and destiny of the country. 

We can conclude in this regard that whatever might accrue from the EPA budget deficit mitigating plan—the medium and long-term economic challenge—coupled with the standing threat of pain, suffering, and sorrow due to social desolation—prove that the EPA regime is not in the best interest of the country. 

That implies that there is an urgent need for effective measures to rescue the ship of state and nation in distress. Thanks be to God for His assurance— “I will redeem, I will rescue. I the Lord God Jehovah, I will rescue the ship. There is no captain to steer the ship. I am the only captain that can steer the ship back to shore. Who will go with me!”  

Thus says the Lord to the Church in Ghana— “who are the stalwarts that shall rescue the ship together with Me. Surely and surely, I shall bring the ship back ashore.  Let us go, let us rescue the ship”  O people of God in Ghana, let us rally together in fasting and prayer unto the Lord to rescue the ship, less the nation is destroyed and we perish.  EPA is not the answer. God our Saviour, Redeemer is the answer.