I’ll campaign for NPP because of the National Cathedral – Cwesi Oteng
Ghanaian gospel musician Cwesi Oteng, who had earlier decided not to meddle in politics, says he will campaign for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2024 elections due to the advancement of the national cathedral.
“I didn’t want to campaign again, but I will do it since the national cathedral is not important to others. I, Cwesi Oteng, it is important to me because it is God who brought me on earth; anything that I will do to advance the course of the national cathedral, I will do,” he stated.
Ahead of the 2016 general elections, the musician pledged his support for the Nana Akufo-Addo-led party. However, the decision didn’t return any incentives.
“I was not paid for supporting the NPP, but it is cool. It’s alright. The only benefit I got from openly validating the political party was a relationship,” he said in an interview with eTV.
The national cathedral is expected to be the rallying point for the Christian community to convene to worship, pray and promote deep national conversations on the role of faith in building Ghana.
The magnificent cathedral proposed by the government in March 2017 is expected to cash in on the religious tourism industry valued at US$18billion.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo unveiled the design for the cathedral in March 2018.
At the time, he said the construction was in fulfilment of a promise he made to God in the run-up to the December 2016 elections.
The project, which renowned architect David Adjaye designed, was widely criticized and condemned by a number of Ghanaians who considered it a misplaced priority.
The condemnation deepened when the government demolished the residence of some Supreme Court judges in Accra to pave the way for the construction.
On 5 March 2020, President Akufo-Addo laid the foundation stone for the commencement of the construction.
The President assured that the cathedral would not just be another national monument adorning the skyline of Accra but a place of worship.
The project is estimated at an initial cost of $100million.
The project has ignited recent debates among Ghanaians after the government has granted the release of GH¢25 million to the National Cathedral Secretariat as additional seed money for the construction of the national cathedral.
A letter, signed by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to the Controller and Accountant’s General, directed that the money be credited to Ribade Limited for part payment of outstanding claims.
“Authority is hereby granted to you to release the sum [of] GH¢25, 000,000.00 as additional seed money to the National Cathedral Secretariat for the construction of the National Cathedral for part payment of outstanding claims from RIBADE Limited,” the letter added.
