Nogokpo: National Peace Council calls for calm

Following weeks of purported tension between the leaders of Nogokpo, a town in the Volta Region and the founder of the Perez Chapel International Archbishop Charles Agyinasare, the National Peace Council has called for calm.

A statement issued by the Chairman of the Peace Council, Rev Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi urged all “who have been affected in any way by the stalemate to exercise restraint and circumspection in their comments and pronouncements on the matter”.

The renowned Christian preacher had told a packed gathering at a 3-day summit at the headquarters of Perez Chapel International that Nogokpo was the headquarters of witches. He was recounting an earlier incident that occurred while he and his team were on a crusade in the Volta Region.

“During this crusade in Aflao, we slept at Agbozume, that was where our hotel was, and you must go through Nogokpo. And Nogokpo is the demonic headquarters in the Volta Region. We only have not said it but the second night I made Bishop Yaw Adu talk about witchcraft and we disgraced the witches and wizards.

”When we were driving from Aflao to Agbozume, immediately we got to Nogokpo, Bishop Yaw Adu’s four-wheel drive, the tyre came out from under the car,“ Agyin-Asare recounted.

However, the remarks did not settle well with authorities in the community who gave the Christian leader a two-week ultimatum to appear before them.

Meanwhile, Perez Chapel International has declared a one-week fasting and prayer concerning the issue. The decision was announced on Sunday by the Presiding Bishop of the church, Benjamin Ohene Aboagye.

“On the 25th of last month, during our Supernatural Empowerment Summit, Archbishop Charles Agyinasare made a statement concerning the Nogokpo issue. I think we are all aware of the issue in Ghana. It is trending on social media and other platforms.

“We, the Perez Council, on behalf of the Executive Council, have taken notice of all these things and this is what the Executive Council is saying. We are declaring a one-week fast from the 5^th to the 11^th of this month, and we expect all pastors, elders, deacons, deaconesses, and all our churches to participate in this fast for one week. We believe that God is our helper. He is our rock. He is the one we look up to. So this is the decision we have taken for now. We expect everyone [in all our branches] to take part in this fast,” Bishop Aboagye announced.