A castle for God when your people suffer? – Nunoo Mensah questions rationale of a National Cathedral

Former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah has added his voice to the many questioning the significance of a National Cathedral at a time when many in the country continue to wallow in abject poverty.

The building of the National Cathedral has got many heads turning and several tongues wagging but work on the said project appears to be progressing despite the several concerns raised.

Many are of the view that a personal pledge to honour God for an electoral victory must not be the basis for the construction of a monument at the expense of the taxpayer. But government as well as the committee tasked with the construction of the facility have rejected the claims that public funds will be used to put up the edifice.

General Nunoo Mensah, Ghana’s former Chief of Defence Staff argues that regardless of the source of funding, the construction of a national cathedral should be the least on the list of priorities of the country at this point in time.

“Ghana needs schools, hospitals, and factories to create jobs for our youth, not a National Cathedral. Building a National Cathedral instead of schools for our children who are having classes under trees is just ridiculous”, he said in an interview with The Ghana Report.

“Go to Kantamanto and see how people are living and you are here building a castle for God? Has God told you he needs a place to sleep?” he quizzed rather sarcastically.

President Akufo-Addo in 2017 cut sod for the construction of a National Cathedral to serve as a national non-denominational Christian worship centre for the country.

Prior to the launch of a fundraising exercise for the cathedral the President made a personal donation of $100,000 to demonstrate his commitment to the project.

The National Cathedral of Ghana when constructed will have an auditorium with a seating capacity of 5,000 for its chapels and baptistery.