Founder and General Overseer of Prophetic Hill Chapel, Prophet Nigel Kwabena Gaisie, has criticised the enforcement of new regulations restricting preaching and other commercial activities inside moving public transport vehicles.
Prophet Gaisie, formerly of True Word Prophetic Fire Ministries, said he intends to continue preaching the gospel on commercial buses and lorries despite the possibility of arrest under the new regulations.
In a statement shared on social media, the preacher said he would soon embark on a campaign to preach to passengers on buses and lorries.
“In the coming weeks or days, I will be on buses and lorries to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,” he wrote.
He added: “Let them come and arrest me.”
Prophet Gaisie questioned the rationale behind criminalising preaching inside moving vehicles, arguing that preaching the Christian gospel in such settings does not inherently cause harm.
“What injury does one suffer while preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in a bus or lorry?” he asked.
He further argued that many preachers, including himself, were introduced to Christianity through preaching conducted on public transport.
“Some of us are products of preaching in buses,” he said.
According to Prophet Gaisie, preachers who enter commercial vehicles to preach typically seek permission from drivers before doing so.
“No preacher enters into the buses or lorries without the permission of the driver, so what is the point?” he questioned.
He described the restrictions as “medieval and unprogressive thinking” and expressed concern that, in his view, the Church was being singled out while other activities continued.
“The Church is quiet, let everything work but not the Church of Jesus Christ,” he stated.
Prophet Gaisie’s comments come after the enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), which introduces tougher penalties for certain activities conducted inside moving public or commercial transport vehicles.
Under Regulation 141, activities including religious preaching and hawking goods inside a public or commercial vehicle while it is in motion are classified as a nuisance.
The restriction applies to vehicles such as trotros and buses while they are moving.
Although restrictions on preaching inside moving vehicles have existed under Ghana’s road traffic framework since 2012, enforcement has historically been limited and previous penalties were less severe.
Under the new framework, persons found engaging in prohibited activities may face a fine of between 10 and 50 penalty units, imprisonment for up to eight months, or both.
The monetary penalty translates to approximately GH¢120 to GH¢600 based on the applicable value of a penalty unit.
The government and relevant agencies have said the measure is aimed at improving road safety, reducing distractions for drivers and protecting the comfort and safety of passengers.
The regulation does not, however, prohibit religious preaching or the use of public-address systems at stationary locations such as lorry terminals, parks, markets or other public spaces under this particular provision.
The distinction means that the restriction is specifically concerned with activities conducted inside vehicles while they are in motion.
Prophet Gaisie’s declaration therefore sets up a potential confrontation between his stated intention to continue preaching on moving buses and the enforcement of the new road traffic regulations.
For now, his position is that preaching the gospel in public transport is an important means of evangelism and should not be treated as an offence simply because it takes place inside a moving vehicle.
By 1960news.com
