President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that the National Cathedral will serve as an expression of gratitude to God for sparing the country from civil wars and plagues.
Speaking at the centenary celebration of the Ga Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at the Black Star Square on Sunday, December 18, President Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment to the completion of the National Cathedral project.
“The National Cathedral will not only serve as our collective thanksgiving to the almighty for the blessings he has bestowed on our nation and sparing us the ravages of civil war that have bedevilled the histories of virtually all our neighbours and the outbreak of deadly mass epidemics but also as a rallying point for the entire Christian community of Ghana, which represents seventy-plus per cent of the population.”
Already, the 80 million cedis allocated for its construction in the 2023 budget has been put on hold pending approval from the Trades and Industry Committee of Parliament on grounds that the committee needs more answers from the government.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama recently said the construction of the National Cathedral Project can no longer be a top priority, given the existing cost of living crisis in the country.
According to him, no further attempts must be made to continue committing public funds and the little state resources to the project in these crucial times.
“The public funding of the national cathedral, particularly at this time, must stop”, the former President said.
John Mahama whilst making reference to his Christian values emphasized that resources should rather be channelled to revive the ailing economy, adding that funds already pumped into the construction works should also be subjected to value for money audit.
