Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed his disappointment in President Akufo-Addo’s recent comments on the construction of the much-talked-about National Cathedral.
Mr Ablakwa says the president failed to address the project’s real issues.
In a tweet on Wednesday, 27 July 2022, Mr Ablakwa said President Akufo-Addo failed to answer critical questions such as the funds released as payments.
The outspoken legislator insisted that the president’s justification for constructing the religious edifice at this time was offensive.
According to him, the president does not care about the plight of Ghanaians under the prevailing economic conditions.
President Akufo-Addo deliberately failed to address the real and germane concerns of the Ghanaian people in his latest rather obfuscating and offensive speech on his infamous national cathedral project.
These are the fundamental issues he refused to address: pic.twitter.com/UahqarXXIz
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) July 27, 2022
On Tuesday, 26 July 2022, President Akufo-Addo dismissed calls for the government to hold on with constructing the National Cathedral due to economic hardships.
According to him, the construction of the structure will fill a missing link in the nation’s spiritual architecture.
“My personal view has always been that even though the Cathedral will be very much a national institution, the cost should be largely borne by the Christian community, with the state providing the land and initial funding to get the project off the ground.”
“Looking through the history of all the great cathedrals of the world, there has never been what can be called an appropriate time to build a cathedral. Invariably, it has taken many years, sometimes centuries, to complete,” the president said.
He further explained that the project also includes a Bible Museum of Africa and will be the largest Bible Museum in the world, with a thematic focus on, firstly, the role of Africa and Africans in the Bible, and, secondly, the history and contemporary place of the church in Africa and the African Diaspora.
“It will house the Bible translated into African languages, tell the story of the church in Africa and the African diaspora, and provide a convening platform for discussions on the role of faith in Africa’s transformation.
“There will also be the Biblical Gardens of Africa, which will include the trees, shrubs and flowers of the Bible, and serve as a major resource for Christians all over the African continent.
“These three initiatives – the pathbreaking design, the Bible Museum of Africa, and the Biblical gardens of Africa – will help to ensure the relevance of the project to the Church in Africa. We also intend to engage the Vatican Museum and Library to see whether it will be possible to secure artefacts that will help to make this into a major resource centre for African Christians. The Vatican has been known to provide such assistance in appropriate cases.
He spoke at the symposium of episcopal conferences of Africa and Madagascar.