Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Presidential Envoy on Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations, has justified the government’s decision to receive and review prophecies about the nation.
The presidential envoy emphasised that about 70–80% of prophecies have no substance, but the 20 per cent deserved some probe.
Speaking to JoyNews, Afriyie Ankrah detailed, “By and large, 70–80% is of no substance. Then you look at the rest of the 20% and you sift through, and maybe 2–3–5% may deserve some further probe. It’s not a full-time job or an office set up solely to receive prophecies; that’s not how it works.”
“If you say a Ghana Air Force plane is going to crash, whichever way, it’s a security matter. Those specific ones, we are saying, don’t put it out there in a raw form that will create problems. We’ve created a WhatsApp platform and an email address. Send it to us, and then we will review,” he said.
He further added, “Testing means there is room for review, to assess and evaluate, because some will definitely be chaff. There’s a lot that is completely bogus and will be discarded. But there may be a few that have some substance.”
According to Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Presidential Envoy on Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations, it was not set up solely to receive and review prophecies.
He added, “I got my appointment letter about two weeks ago. People didn’t know about the office, so when the statement came out, maybe some thought an office had been set up solely to collect prophecies. That’s why you saw all those memes. But the office is meant to coordinate with all religious bodies, Christian, Muslim, and others, to help foster unity and oneness in the country.”
He further emphasised the importance of his work, adding that religion plays a dominant role in Ghanaian life.
“If you look at the last population census, the religious community constitutes over 90% of the population. They are critical in society. Governance is about protecting and advancing the interests of citizens, and faith is part of our social reality”.
In addition, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said the NDC government will not be deterred from their commitment to resetting Ghana despite the growing number of prophecies predicting doom.
According to Johnson Asiedu Nketia, he believes that what will happen will happen.
He boldly emphasised that whether there are prophecies or no prophecies, President John Mahama will continue to take bold decisions to reset the country.
Speaking to the media on August 13, 2025, Asiedu Nketia stated, “You’ve all heard about various prophecies, some claiming to play the role of God and others threatening our leadership that more calamities are on the way unless certain things are done. My belief is that what will happen will happen, and we won’t be deterred from taking necessary decisions to restore this country,” he stated.
“I know our chiefs are rallying around His Excellency the President, and I know he will continue to be emboldened to take the right decisions to reset this country, whether there are prophecies or no prophecies, and I will urge all of us to use this moment as a solemn occasion to find out what went wrong.”
He further called on traditional leaders to remain resolute, saying, “I want to urge our Chiefs and Traditional rulers that there is nothing shameful about our culture, let us do honour to our culture”.
Meanwhile, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Social Sciences at the Vatican, His Eminence Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, has urged prophets to plead with God before announcing prophecies of disaster.
Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson noted that people are advised to listen only to credible prophets, but what defines the credibility of prophets?
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, August 13, ahead of the inauguration of the John Kofi Turkson Memorial Institute in the Central Region, he stated, “If a prophecy reveals the possibility of disaster, your first act should be to intercede with God before announcing it”.
“When God shared with Abraham His intent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded for mercy. Likewise, if God shares such knowledge with you, pray first and ask for His intervention.”
“It is interesting when people advise others to listen only to credible prophets, but who defines credibility, and by what criteria? These are questions that need answers. In any case, wherever prophecies occur and God makes His knowledge known to you, consider the content carefully. If it requires intervention, please do that before communicating it to anyone,” he added.