Ghanaians look forward to December 31 of each year for various reasons including the several prophecies that pastors reveal going into a New Year during Watch Night services.

The Ghanaian public have been given a new reason to look forward to this year’s Watch Night service after the police served notice that it will be going after pastors whose prophecies have the tendency of causing fear and panic.

Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George adding his voice to the conversation around the new order has, however, questioned the legal basis on which the police is seeking to seemingly regulate prophecies.

According to the outspoken MP, he does not understand or believe the Inspector-General of Police has a legal locus to arrest or charge any pastor who will release a prophecy during Friday’s crossover service.

“So what exactly will the IGP be charging Pastors and Prophets with if they prophesy tonight? Which part of our Criminal Codes bars prophecy? I would like to be educated,” he posted on his social media handles.

The Ghana Police Service via a release last Monday cautioned men of God to be circumspect in their prophetic duties.

In a subsequent media interaction, the Director of Public Affairs for the police, ACP Kwesi Ofori has reiterated that the police will effect the arrest of any pastor who will issue a prophecy that may lead to fear and panic.

“One thing is, who even appointed somebody to determine that, to put that person in perpetual fear? One thing we want to know is, as a church, if somebody is in your church and you have seen something it is good that you arrange and meet that person, discuss it and see how as Christians how you can deal with it but not to use the mass media pronouncing deaths, pronouncing sickness and other mishaps.

That is unaccepted and when you create fear and panic, I bet you, the Police will move in to apprehend whoever is doing that. We have put a sound argument across that we want everyone to respect the constitution, respect the laws, individual freedoms.

“We are not saying we are going to use the law to cower any religious figure or personality, that is not the case. This thing has become a worrying trend,” he stated in an interview with TV3.