The Right Reverand Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the Moderator of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), has urged the Government to take urgent steps to stop sports betting in the country.
He said sports betting had become an addiction among some of the youth, particularly university students, creating bad character and leading them into vices such as stealing, and robbing them of their productive future.
Delivering a sermon at the Unity Congregation of the Church at Nkanfoa, near Cape Coast, Rt Rev Prof Mante expressed disquiet over the inundation of betting and gaming commercials in the media and urged the Government to step in to remedy the situation.
“I know people are making money out of it but once people get addicted to betting, they cannot stop. And when they cannot stop, they steal money to bet,” he said.
“There are so many young people who are in pain now because of betting, and other addictions.”
Rt Rev Prof Mante’s visit marked the end of his five-day visit to the Western Presbytery, and his sermon was in line with the Church’s Blue Cross Sunday, which seeks to address addictions of all forms.
Touching on the dangers of other addictions including drugs, alcohol, and sex, he recounted how a young promising man of God died from alcohol abuse.
“We are aware that there are so many people who get addicted to so many things and have the desire to stop but cannot, despite knowing its negative impact,” he noted.
The Moderator, therefore, appealed to the youth to stay away from addictive behaviours and substances, saying: “The best way to stop addiction is not to start at all.”
The Moderator urged churches in Ghana to establish counselling units to provide specialised counselling to persons suffering from addictions, indicating that prayers alone were not enough.
He implored community leaders to teach their members discipline at early stages to build successful communities.
“Any culture that does not understand self-discipline and think they can do whatever they want, that culture is bound for doom.”
