Archbishop-elect Elisha Salifu Amoako, President of the National Prophetic and Charismatic Council, has asked prophets to follow the guidelines of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, on prophesies that might generate fear or panic.
According to the legislation of the nation, religious groups’ rights to religion, freedom of worship, and free expression are subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others, as stated in a statement issued by the police a few weeks ago.
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According to the police, it is illegal to publish or duplicate a statement, rumor, or report that is likely to provoke public fear or alarm, or to disrupt the public peace, without providing evidence that the statement, rumor, or report is factual.
It noted in a press statement that over the years, communications of prophecies of harm, danger, and death by some religious leaders had created tension and panic in Ghanaian society and put the lives of many people in fear and danger, and that anybody found guilty under those laws could be liable to a prison term of up to five years.
“We, therefore, wish to caution all Ghanaians, especially religious groups and leaders, to be measured in their utterances, especially how they communicate prophecies, which may injure the rights of others and the public interest.”
In response, Archbishop-elect Salifu Amoako said prophecies were products of spiritual engagements where God revealed His intentions about individuals and nations to prophets who had the mandate to reveal them according to God’s instructions.
He added that God, in some instances, could instruct prophets to speak about a pending danger that could befall the nation, but agreed that circumspection was necessary.
