The President expressed concern that the strong bonds within extended families, which once connected relatives across generations, are gradually weakening as many people now focus primarily on their immediate households.
Delivering a sermon during the Men’s Ministry Day celebration at the Ringway Gospel Centre Assemblies of God in Accra on Sunday, August 2, President Mahama emphasised the importance of maintaining relationships beyond one’s spouse and children.
He said the Ghanaian concept of family has historically extended beyond the nuclear family to include siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces, creating a wider network of care, responsibility and support.
According to President Mahama, the values passed down by previous generations encouraged people to maintain close relationships with members of their extended families, a practice he believes is becoming less common in contemporary society.
“Let us love our families, and when I say family, it is not only our wife and children; it is our brothers, our sisters, our cousins, our nephews, our nieces, and that is the value our parents left us. I remember when I was growing up, I knew all my cousins, my aunties and uncles.”
President Mahama further explained that his upbringing involved frequent visits to relatives, where children were encouraged to build relationships with members of the wider family.
He said those experiences helped to create stronger family connections but expressed worry that such traditions are gradually disappearing.
“When I was growing up, my father would take us in the car and say we are going to uncle something’s house and we will go and sit there and play and do everything, but all that is breaking down today. We are all only concerned about our wives and children.”
The President encouraged Ghanaians, particularly men, to take an active role in rebuilding family relationships and ensuring that younger generations understand the importance of extended family ties.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
