National Cathedral project is individualistic; not a collective vow – Sonnie Badu

Gospel musician, Sonnie Badu has waded in the conversation regarding the construction of the controversial National Cathedral.

In a recent interview with Takoradi-based Empire FM, he said what may have caused the debate about the propriety or otherwise of the cathedral is the fact that it is a vow made to God by one person.

“The reason why there are a lot of problems and confusion is that it was not a collective vow. It was an individualistic vow and that is why there is a little bit of an issue there,” he said.

Buttressing his point with some Biblical examples, Sonnie said people who made vows to God in the Biblical times ensured they honoured them.

“If that was the vow that the President gave to God, then he needs to honour his vow. When you read the Bible, people made vows to God and they fulfilled them. So you asking me if it is necessary, I will say that if he vowed to God, he needs to honour.

But that is very personal between him and his God. So it’s more like ‘I have promised God so I need to use my own money to fulfil it’. But when it’s like ‘I have promised God so let’s all do it’, that is where the whole confusion is,” he indicated.

Sonnie Badu, however, noted that the idea of the National Cathedral is a good one.

“A cathedral is a good thing. Just as there are a lot of mosques that Muslims put together for people to go there to worship, a National Cathedral, something for the nation is not a bad idea,” he added.

About the National Cathedral of Ghana

The construction of the National Cathedral of Ghana is borne out of a promise that the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, made to God.

“I made a pledge to almighty God that He was gracious enough to grant my party, the NPP, and I victory in the 2016 elections after two unsuccessful attempts, so I will help build a cathedral to his glory and honour,” President Nana Akufo-Addo said at the sod-cutting ceremony in 2020.

“The interdenominational national cathedral will help unify the Christian community and thereby help promote national unity and social cohesion,” he added.

The Cathedral is supposed to provide a historic opportunity to put God at the centre of our nation’s affairs and serve as a symbol of our eternal and continuing gratitude to Him for the blessings He continues to shower and bestow on our nation.

Conceptually, the National Cathedral represents a vision of a society which is, firstly, dependent on God, and whose aspirations are captured by the opening words of our National Anthem: God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong!

The National Cathedral gives practical expression to this vision of a society mediated by the Almighty and represents a sacred space for the nation. The Cathedral, thus, addresses a missing link in our national architecture, i.e. church for national purposes.

It will be an interdenominational house of worship and prayer and will serve as the venue for formal state occasions of a religious nature, such as the inauguration of Presidents, state funerals, and national thanksgiving services, amongst others.

The President believes that the National Cathedral will be a unifying monument around which to elevate shared conversations on faith and national transformation. It will also serve as a rallying platform to promote deep national conversations on how, collectively, we can build the progressive and prosperous Ghana we desire.

Controversies

The project, which is the brainchild of President Nana Akufo-Addo, has faced opposition and criticism.

A lot of people have suggested the construction of the cathedral is not on the priority list of Ghanaians, particularly in the wake of the country’s economic woes.

The project has also been hit by scandals resulting in the resignation of some of its committee members.

Although funding for the $400 million project was said to be taken from donations and “seed money by the government”, a bigger part of the $58m which has been spent so far, has come from the national coffers.

In the meantime, the National Cathedral project has stalled due to insufficient funds.