The Supreme Court has ordered parties in the suit over the construction of a National Cathedral to file a joint memorandum of issues within a week.
This memorandum will spell out the agreed issues expected to be decided upon by the Court. Hearing has thus been subsequently adjourned to November 6, 2018.
At-Issue memorandum is a legal document that is generally filed in a civil case.
It states that all parties to a case have been served and that the parties are “at issue” over one or more points that need to be resolved at trial. In short, it simply states that the case is ready to go to trial. The party may also include in the memorandum, the estimated time that would be required for trial.
The CPP’s Director of Elections, Joseph Kwabena Bomfeh, in March 2017, went before the Supreme Court seeking the Court’s intervention against Government’s decision to construct a National Cathedral as well as the organisation of Hajj pilgrimages.
Mr. Bomfeh argues that government based on provisions of the 1992 Constitution, has no business meddling in religious Affairs.
He described government’s involvement with the construction of the National Cathedral and the organization of the annual Hajj pilgrims as “state interference.”
Speaking to the media after today’s court hearing, Mr. Bomfe expressed his satisfaction with the court’s desire to expedite the hearing of the case.
“I am happy with the attitude of the bench that it must be expedited. You saw from the attitude of my counsel that we have been ready with the memorandum issued that this should be jointly filed months back but for the AG’s delay we should have been done with this case and moved on with our lives.”
Meanwhile, the Court did not pronounce on the injunction application filed by Mr. Bomfeh to stop government from executing the cathedral project pending the determination of the matter.
“National Cathedral, a priority among priorities” – Nana Addo
President Akufo-Addo has mounted a spirited defense of his administration’s decision to construct a national cathedral in the capital, Accra.
The government is to provide 14-acres of public land for the project while the Christian community is to fund the construction of the project.
The decision to build a national cathedral has angered many Ghanaians with some describing it as a waste of public lands and national resources while others have accused the government of misplaced priorities.
Some judges are to evicted from their homes to pave the way for the construction.
But speaking on the matter for the first at an investment forum in London, President Akufo Addo insisted that the cathedral is a priority for the government.
“People will ask if it (national cathedral) is a priority. It is a priority among priorities. We’ll never find enough money to do everything we want to do. But we have to begin, and that’s what we have started.”
President Akufo-Addo further mentioned that the cathedral when built would serve as a symbolic monument that will unify the citizenry in a Christ-like manner.
“70 percent of the population is Christian. This is the focus that strengthens the community. We find ourselves in need of a symbol that the Ghanaian nation can rally behind. We see elsewhere in the huge world monuments, and we are going to find the means to sort it out.”
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By: Sixtus Dong Ullo & Jude Mensa Duncan/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
