As the country prepares for the upcoming National Day of Prayer on July 1, a day officially declared by President John Dramani Mahama, concerns have been raised about the exclusion of African Traditional Religion (ATR) worshippers from the national observance.

Speaking passionately on Ho FM’s morning show hosted by Togbe Ahorgo I, social commentator and media personality Simon Kokofi called on organisers of the event to ensure inclusivity in the national interfaith gathering.

“Faith without any seriousness is baseless,” Kokofi stated.

“No religion should be left behind in this National Day of Prayer. It is time we recognised African Traditional Religion worshippers as an integral part of our national religious identity.”

He lamented organisers inviting traditional rulers to such events only for symbolic purposes, and excluding them from actual participation in the prayers.

“You’ll be surprised they’ll invite traditional rulers but will not allow them to pray. They will just call a pastor or a Muslim cleric to pray, completely sidelining the traditional believer,” he added.

Kokofi further highlighted the contradiction in Ghana's educational curriculum, where students were taught about the existence of three main religions Christianity, Islam, and African Traditional Religion, yet only two were given practical acknowledgment in public religious events.

“In our Junior and Senior High Schools, we teach our children that there are three types of religion, but we always relegate the African Traditional worshippers. It is time to practice what we preach,” he stressed.

He urged the organisers of the July 1 National Day of Prayer to take a bold step in affirming religious pluralism by formally including traditional worshippers in the official prayer programme.

The National Day of Prayer, set for July 1, was announced by President Mahama to unite Ghanaians in seeking divine guidance and peace for the nation.