National Cathedral needless; Prez has lost focus – Okakwei North MP

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikwei North constituency, Theresa Lardi Awuni. has described the president’s decision to build a National Cathedral as a shift from his mandate.

The president, Nana Akufo-Addo, in the run-up to the 2016 general elections announced his intentions to build a national cathedral if he wins power.

According to him, the construction of the cathedral is a fulfilment of a promise he made to God.

But the MP believes the government should rather focus on raising revenue to improve the health and education sectors as well as provide Ghanaians with good roads and other social amenities.

“Ghanaian Christians have various places for worship, so they don’t need a place for service instead the security services lack accommodation, police officers share same space with their belongings but the president supervised the demolition of Judges quarters for the construction of the cathedral”

Presenting the mid-year budget to parliament in July 2021, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta made an appeal to Ghanaians to make a monthly contribution of GHC100 in support of the cathedral.

“This state and church partnership envisaged by the president to develop the National Cathedral is on course. An initiative, the GHC100 a month also dubbed ‘Ketoa Biaa Nsua, will be launched by the trustees of the National Cathedral on August 12, 2021, to give as many Ghanaians as possible the opportunity to be part of the history of the National Cathedral”.

He explained that the aim of the club is to get one million Ghanaians who would give GH₵100 monthly for the project.

“A special shortcode 979 has been developed for this purpose as we look forward to Mr Speaker and all the members of this house joining in the GH₵100 a month initiative,” he said.

Reacting to the suggestion, Awuni said it was dishonest for government to ask Ghanaians to make such monthly contributions at a time when there is untold hardship in the country.

“The Bible didn’t say we should starve ourselves and build for the Lord. Ghanaian Christians had a place for worship before Nana Addo made those promises to God, and is the cathedral the nation’s priority now?” she quizzed.

For her, education, health, roads, sanitation among others are matters that government should rally financial support for.

“It is not government responsibility to a place of worship, let the government focus on social and economic issues,” she told Angel FM.

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 is expected to cash in on the global religious tourism industry valued at US$18billion.