A Ghanaian police statement has warned religious leaders that New Year’s prophecies can cause fear, anxiety or death, adding that freedom of religion should not violate the freedom of others.
Several people have criticised the police order as limiting freedom of worship, which is a constitutional right. Indeed, Ghanaian lawyer Sammy Darko said that the police order is illegal, as Ghanaian law does not give the police administration the power to regulate prophecies in the country.
According to the Ghanaian news website ‘My Joy Online’, the police intervention is justified by the pessimistic predictions made by the public last year due to warnings of doom by religious groups.
The police said they had adopted 27 December as the day of compliance for the communication of prophecies, while commending the religious groups for their “cooperation” in this regard.