Religious expert Prof. Ben Willy Golo has strongly criticized the government’s new directive requiring pastors and other religious leaders to submit their prophecies for official review, describing the move as “misguided” and “dangerous.”
The controversial order comes in the wake of a surge in prophetic claims following last week’s deadly Ghana Air Force helicopter crash that killed eight people, including senior government officials. Since the tragedy, several videos and audio recordings have circulated online featuring pastors claiming they had foreseen the disaster.
Speaking on Starr Today with Tutuwaa Danso, Prof. Golo questioned both the practicality and the intent of the directive.
“I completely disagree. What do they intend to do with these prophecies once they receive them? Do they even have the capacity to determine whether a prophecy is genuine or not?” he asked.
He argued that if authorities believed in the legitimacy of certain prophecies, they should have engaged religious leaders privately rather than making a public order that risks legitimizing or delegitimizing spiritual messages through state institutions.
“Using state institutions to validate or invalidate spiritual revelations crosses a line,” Prof. Golo warned, adding that the approach could entangle personal belief systems with public authority in a way that is constitutionally questionable.
The directive has sparked debate over religious freedom in Ghana, with critics warning it could set a precedent for government overreach into spiritual matters.
