Ghanian missionary praises nation's peaceful resolve

By Tina Mata'afa-Tufele 30 July 2021, 6:00AM

An African missionary from Ghana has commended the country and its citizens for keeping the peace during Samoa's political crisis over the last three months.

Ishmael Adubofour, a missionary for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat who oversees the group’s mission work in Samoa and has been a resident for three years, said Samoa's response to the political crisis has been “amazing.”

“Let me commend all the political leaders of the incoming government and the outgoing government and then also the judiciary and all the citizens of Samoa for holding the cup and keeping the country safe until this time [...] when the new Government has been instated,” Mr. Adubofour, who resides in Vaitele Fou, says. 

“In most countries one of the things that I have realised is that in most countries one the things that de-stabilises the country is politics and coming from Africa and knowing that some of the countries and how they have handled such cases, I get amazed at how Samoa has controlled themselves for this long and God has given them this day.”

Prayer has constituted a large part of his work and since the elections Mr. Adubofour said he prayed a lot for Samoa’s government.

It is not usual for politics to divide people, he said.

“It is something [important] for me since the elections and all the things that were happening,” he said. 

“I personally was praying for the country and for the leaders that God should give them that heart that will always make Samoa peaceful as it is. What we are seeing is that everyone has an attachment to one party and during those times the country is completely divided, even families. 

“You will see a mother and father here and a daughter and son here or even brothers – one here and one there – and they fight because they think that their party should be in power.

“For me to see how the country was so quiet waiting for the outcome or the judgment from the court, it is so amazing and that is why I congratulate the country an congratulate the political players and most especially all those who we replaying the background role to keep the leaders quiet and not make comments that will destabilise the country, I [take off] my hat to them; Samoa did very well.”

He congratulated Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on her victory and urged the Prime Minister and her party Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.ST.) party to keep God at the front of Samoa’s government.

“In this world, you don’t see women going this far and it is good that she has set the pace for Samoan women to look on and also try to emulate her,” said Mr. Adubofour.

“It is good and it is my prayer that God gives her blessings and the wisdom to steer the affairs of the country to the level that will be pleasing to God almighty but the most important thing is we do what is pleasing to God not what is pleasing to man.

“I congratulate her Cabinet and I pray for them that God will give them the strength and good health including all their families. 

"All the people in Samoa should pray for them because this will be something new for a lot of people in the country. They have seen one Government for quite some time and now there is a new one. 

"They should give them time and they should pray for them – all the pastors in Samoa, all the churches, we should all pray for the government for God to give them open-mindedness and the wisdom to run the affairs of the country.”

The missionary has met the former Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi and hopes to meet his successor Fiame.

When one of his missionaries flew to Samoa from New Zealand, they visited Tuilaepa in 2018. At the time, Mr. Adubofour was reading Tuilaepa’s memoir “Palemia.”

“I met the former Prime Minister […] at that time I had bought his memoir. I was reading his memoir. I bought it and I got him to sign it for me. I got to meet him once and I can see that he is a good man. He made a comment and we all laughed over it,” the missionary said.

“He asked me: ‘Are you married’? 

“I said yes I am. He asked are you married to a Samoan? I said no I am married to an African. He said ‘Oh no, you should have come to Samoa to marry a Samoan girl. 

“I could see that he has Samoa at heart.”

He said his religion, Islam, means “peace.”

Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat is one of 73 sects of Islam.

Mr. Adubofour, who will mark four years of residing in Samoa in March of 2022, hopes to present Fiame with writings in a future meeting.

“I have not met the new Prime Minister but I am hoping to meet her and present books to her just as we did to Tuilaepa. 

|Being the first woman she has set the example for a lot of countries not only in the Pacific but the world. She should put God in front and her Cabinet should put God in front. Once they put God in front, everything will be done well.”

By Tina Mata'afa-Tufele 30 July 2021, 6:00AM
Samoa Observer

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