Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations, has defended the government’s request for religious leaders to submit sensitive prophecies concerning the nation and its top officials for review before making them public. He insists that this practice is firmly rooted in biblical teachings.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, August 11, Mr. Afriyie Ankrah rejected the notion that this initiative is an attempt to stifle spiritual expression. Instead, he described it as a necessary safeguard to ensure that messages with potential national security implications are handled responsibly. Quoting scripture to support his position, he referenced First Thessalonians 5:20-21, which states, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test them all. Hold on to what is good,” and First John 4:1, which urges believers to “test the spirits.”
He added, “The Bible encourages review. All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial.” The envoy explained that testing or reviewing prophecies is not a new concept, as mature Christian communities already practice discernment to determine the authenticity and relevance of such revelations.
“Every man of God, every prophet, has the right to prophesy about any subject matter they choose. There is no issue with that,” he stated. “However, when these prophecies concern the President, Vice President, senior government officials, or have serious security implications, they should be formally shared with my office for urgent review and appropriate action.”
His comments come amid heightened public debate following last week’s helicopter crash that killed eight people. In the aftermath, social media has been awash with videos and posts of people claiming to have foretold the incident, sparking questions about the government’s capacity to respond to prophecies that may trigger fear or panic.
Critics, however, have raised two major concerns: the feasibility of reviewing prophecies before they are delivered and the risk of abuse by charlatans posing as prophets. Ghana has long struggled with the proliferation of self-styled prophets, some of whom have been exposed as fraudsters exploiting followers for personal gain.
Responding to these concerns, Mr Afriyie Ankrah emphasised that Ghana had “more than enough” credible spiritual leaders to help assess sensitive prophecies discreetly and professionally. He proposed that genuine prophets would be willing to engage behind the scenes to clarify their messages and explore possible interventions.
“This is not about negativity,” he said. “It’s about ensuring that whatever God reveals can be acted upon in a way that protects the country and honours the responsibility that comes with spiritual insight. Whether it’s a prophecy, vision, or revelation, everything begins and ends with prayer.”
He compared this approach to how another nation would react to a high-stakes prediction: “Can you imagine if a prophet in America said Air Force One was going to crash? The kind of actions that would immediately follow? We don’t want to reach that point.” For the envoy, the review process is not an attack on prophecy; rather, it is a biblical and practical step to protect both national security and the integrity of the Christian faith.
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Source: Clara Seshie
