The Upper West Regional Minister, Lawyer Charles Lwanga Puozuing, has come under heavy criticism from the Muslim community over remarks deemed disrespectful to Islamic practices.

In a viral video, the Minister appeared to belittle the significance of the five daily prayers, a central pillar of Islam, suggesting that people who pray five times daily do so because they lack meaningful work.

He further claimed that combining prayers at one’s convenience would still be acceptable to God.

“It is only when you don’t have proper work that you vividly remember every three hours is prayer time. When you are busy, you might even forget to pray, or you can combine all the five daily prayers and pray at a particular time, and God will understand,” he stated.

His comments sparked outrage, prompting a strong response from the Office of the Upper West Regional Chief Imam. In a statement signed by the Regional Executive Secretary, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, the office described the remarks as insensitive and inflammatory.

The statement demanded that the Minister:

1. Fully and unconditionally retract his statement.
2. Issue a formal public apology to the Muslim community in the region and nationwide.
3. Comply with these demands within 72 hours of the statement’s release.

The Chief Imam’s office warned that failure to meet these conditions would leave the Muslim community with no choice but to pursue peaceful actions to protect their faith and dignity.