Mahama wants clemency for pastor jailed for flouting COVID-19 rules

Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has appealed to President Nana Akufo-Addo to grant clemency to a pastor and his two followers who were jailed four years for flouting the ban on public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Mahama described the prison sentence handed the three as “draconian and an act of selective justice”.

Citing the blatant disregard for the COVID-19 restrictions on the part of the governing NPP during its primaries, Mr. Mahama said all must be treated equally before the law.

“We must all abide by the law, that is true, but we should not engage in selective justice, where you apply the law heavily on church workers who flout the law. Yet, during primaries, people were seen flouting the law with impunity and nothing happened to them”, he said.

The NDC flagbearer, who was speaking during an interaction with Christian leaders in the Northern regional capital Tamale, during his recent visit, admitted that the imposition of the COVID-19 restrictions was necessary to help fight the surge in infections and keep the country safe.

He, however, added that some of the decisions and outcomes arising out of the imposition of the restrictions, had not been pleasant.

“We have our Christian colleagues, a pastor, and some church workers languishing in jail. They were sentenced to jail for four years. That is a very draconian punishment”, Mr. Mahama noted.

Apostle Sampson Agakpe, founder of the Church of Pure Christ in the Volta Region, was arrested, charged, and jailed for four years together with his Assistant Pastor, Maxwell Dzogoedzikpe and the church secretary, Samuel Agakpe.

The former President also bemoaned the disregard for COVID-19 protocols during his visit to the Savannah Region.

“In Damango, they ambushed me on the road, a huge crowd of people and nobody was social distancing, and many were not wearing masks. When I drew their attention to the protocols, one of them shouted back that Corona will not infect them,” Mr. Mahama said.