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Christmas here again: Cherish moments with loved ones, support needy …Clergy urges Christians
Rev Adaletey
The clergy has urged Christians to use the period of Christmas to treasure the moments spent with family and loved ones and also show love to the needy and underprivileged in the society.
According to them, it was important to spread the joy that comes with the birth of Jesus Christ, a very significant milestone in the life of Christians and use the period to preach about what He stood for.
In separate interviews, they told The Spectator that the love of Christ was supposed to be for all and not for a selected privileged few, hence the need to also show love and kindness to people in need.
The Head Pastor of Gateway Temple Assemblies of God (A/G), Sowutuom VRA, in Accra, Rev Benjamin I. K Adaletey said it was necessary for Christians to cherish the moments with their loved ones, especially during this festive season, Reports Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu.
He said that would foster family bonding and ensure peaceful co-existence and promote brotherliness.
According to the Head Pastor of Gateway Temple A/G, “ it will also foster strong bonds, provide emotional support and create lasting memories that contributes to the overall well-being.”
He said spending time with loved ones during the festive season strengthens relationships, promote happiness and offers a sense of belonging and connection within the family.
Rev Adaletey who is also a renowned actor in the Ghanaian movie industry said Christmas was a period where one reflects on the blessings of the past year and makes resolution for the coming year.
“Christmas is also a period to spread kindness to each other and embrace the spirit of giving and find joy in the simple pleasures,” he said.
Rev Adaletey described christmas as an annual festival aimed at commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, and it was observed on December 25 each year and celebrated by billions of people worldwide.
He stated that Christmas was celebrated to honour the birth of Jesus and it was often seen as a time for the family to share joy and goodwill to people around them especially the less privileged.
Rev Adaletey said it brings people together, foster a sense of love, generosity, and community spirit.
“I am wishing all Ghanaians a season of warmth, joy, and love. May the spirit of Christmas fill your heart with peace and goodwill. Merry Christmas,” he said.
From the International Victory Praise Chapel (I.V.P.C), Dome, Elizabeth Agyeibea Ackon reported that Christmas to many, was a season to spend time with friends, families and loved loves, amidst fun and appreciate God for his protection throughout the year.
Speaking to Rev. Humphrey Odei Addo-Yobo of the International Victory Praise Chapel (I. V.P.C), Dome, he said Christmas was a period to reflect on ‘the cost’ associated with the celebration.
Explaining that, he said, children were sacrificed by King Herod with mothers tortured and asked to vacate their places of residence including Mary who was made to relocate to Egypt.
“When King Herod heard God was intervening in the affairs of men and his star shown, he consulted Theologians, religious people and courted them diplomatically, a kind of forced marriage between church and religion and politics. He wiped every single baby under two years, causing pains and sorrows among mothers whose children were killed,” he explained.
“The innocent virgin lady who was engaged, yet to be married but got pregnant was made to go through humiliation,” he added.
These sufferings and humiliations, he said, were the cost that Jesus Christ had to pay, hence the essence of Christmas which everyone must reflect on.
Rev. Addo-Yobo stated that the incarnation of Jesus Christ was also costly as he was made to pay a price by lowering himself to become man in the form of flesh in order to bring us back to righteousness.
He said it was important to value God’s plan to restore Christians into the perfect Adam, redeem and to give them the power to conquer death and sickness inflicted by the devil.
“We must remember it comes with a cost and therefore be ready to also make a loving, living and worthy sacrifices knowing it is our turn to honourably and dutifully give out,” he stressed.
“Remember to light your house, the city and your workplace and put smiles on those who had not smiled throughout the eleven months of the year,” he added.
Essentially, Rev Addo-Yobo said, Christmas was a season for visiting the orphanage, hospitals and communities to spread love and kindness to all.
According to the General Overseer of the Precious Stone International Ministry, Prophetess Mrs Comfort Agyei, Christmas was a period that Christians to be positive about the promises of God, reports Linda Abrefi Wadie.
Sharing her Christmas message with The Spectator, she said Christians have the tendency to give up in times of difficulty but according to her, it was such moments that they must hold on firmly to God’s promises.
“We are tempted to think our grass is withering, while those of others grew greener; but that is not enough reason to give up,” she stated.
“In 2 Samuel 5, David waited upon the Lord despite the challenges Saul put him through. He later became the king of Israel and the Lord blessed him abundantly,” she added.
Prophetess Adjei said it was important for Christians to continue in prayer and wait for the right time for the promises of God to manifest.
“It is not proper to use the current economic condition in the country to undermine the things God could do. Children believe their parents are capable of providing all their needs, how much more the creator of the universe,” she questioned.
Touching on the LGBTQ+ Bill currently in Parliament, Mrs Agyei said, allowing that practice to go on in Ghana was against the will of God.
“Romans 1:28 tells us that we must stand against the practice and any law that permits it to avoid curses and destructions. Ghana is God’s country and we need to do away with negative laws that will ruin the blessings of the country,” she stressed.
“Let us continue to stay in peace and love one another because Christmas is the remembrance of the beginning of salvation,” she added.
Christmas she said, was a time for reconciliation and forgiveness.
Meanwhile, the Overseer of the Glorious Temple Worship Centre at Nungua-Barrier in Accra, Rev. David Dadzie says Christians, especially the youth must utilise the festive period to reconcile and reflect on their righteousness in Christ, reports Michael D. Abayateye.
That, he said, would be beneficial to their development as humans instead of engaging in vices including drinking and smoking.
Speaking to The Spectator ahead of the Yuletide, he said “we need to appreciate the opportunity that we have considering the difficulties throughout the year but remember that the festive period was all about thanking God for his mercies.”
“It is also a time to reconcile and forgive one another. It is not about eating and dinning alone but a time for reconciliation and turning from our wicked ways,” he stated.
Making reference to Psalm 119:105,”Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path,” he said it was important to turn to Jesus for salvation.
“Do not let the celebrations destruct you but rather remain focus ed and appreciate God. It is unto the saviour and let us keep it as such,” he added.
The material things, he said, were not essential but one’s righteousness was what the Lord would demand.
“Watch over yourself and turn from your wicked ways. Search through your life and become a better person,” he advised.
He quoted Lamentations 3:40 saying, “Search and examine yourself to see where you have fallen short and turn to Jesus this festive season and he would bless, change and turn things around for good.”
He urged members of the church and residents within Nungua and its environs to be measured in their celebrations and seek the face of the Lord in all their dealings.
He also asked Christians to remain steadfast in the Lord as there were greater things that would happen in their lives in all aspects.
He was optimistic that next year would be better despite economic challenges adding that “the Lord would take care of his people.”
Rev. Dadzie took the opportunity to invite the public to worship with the church during the Christmas to the New Year as they seek for God’s guidance and protection under a programme dubbed “Hold Your Mantle”.
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
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