The Head Pastor of Manhean Oechler Presbyterian Church of Ghana at the Ga West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, Reverend Amon Ashie, is alleged to have engaged the services of some military men to dig a grave at the church premises to bury a non-member following resistance from the congregation.
According to eyewitnesses, on Saturday, May 5, 2023, some military men were spotted at the Manhean Oechler Congregation Cemetery digging a grave to bury a non-Oechler member.
This was after members of the church had opposed to their head pastor Rev. Ashie, from going ahead to bury a departed non-Oechler Congregation member from the PCG branch at Oduman, also in the Ga West Municipality.
Those attempts by the church to resist their Reverend Minister resulted in the arrest of three members, Mr. David Mintah, a former Presbyter, Ms. Rebecca Sackey and Ms. Margaret Sackey, both choristers all in their 60s.
The three were arrested on the morning of Friday, May 4, 2023, by police officers from the Anyaa Police District Command. They were only granted bail in the evening around 6:30 p.m., following their arrest in the morning.
According to eyewitnesses, around 5:00 a.m., on Saturday, a military truck full of soldiers arrived and parked right in front of the small Oechler Congregation Cemetery at Manhean.
However, four young soldiers stayed after the truck had left. They were tasked to ensure the grave was dug for the burial of this departed Presby member from Oduman.
The eyewitnesses told Republic Press that two of the soldiers went into the cemetery with a shovel, pickaxe, and machete and were assisted by a resident of Manhean to dig the grave, while the other two soldiers gave them protection.
The four soldiers, the paper understands, came in a white salon car with license plate GR-1256-22. Two of them were in military inner vests with their top uniforms placed on the front seats of the car.
After the grave had been dug, the four young soldiers stayed on to make sure the dead person was buried at the cemetery.
Republic Press investigations alleged that the invitation to the soldiers was a move sanctioned by Rev. Ashie, together with the express support of some key members of his session.
Earlier, when the paper contacted Rev. Ashie via his mobile phone, he responded: “There is no issue at my church, so I can’t speak to any issue”!
In fact, Rev. Ashie’s decision to bury Presby members who are not members of Oechler Congregation is brewing tension in the church and the Manhean township.
Meanwhile, several members of the already depopulated Oechler Congregation are threatening to quit.
In another development, on Friday, May 5, 2023, Rev. Ashie ordered for the arrest of the three prominent members because they oppose his decision to bury non-Oechler congregant.
