National Chief Imam donates GH₵ 50,000 towards National Cathedral building

The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has made a GH₵ 50,000 donation to the building of the National Cathedral in Accra.

The de facto leader of the Islamic community in Ghana presented his support to the board of trustees of the project in a short ceremony on Thursday, August 26. The trustees had paid a courtesy call on the Chief Imam.

The National Cathedral Secretariat has been inviting support from the general public for the project in a campaign dubbed “Ketewa Biara Nsua”, which conveys the message that no contribution is small.

In his Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament, Minister of Finance Ken Ofor-Atta pleaded on behalf of the secretariat for Ghanaians to commit to making a monthly contribution of GH₵ 100 towards the project.

The initiative is supposed to raise half of the US$200 million needed to build the edifice.

The National Cathedral, expected to be officially commissioned on March 6, 2024, will need all hands on deck to make it a reality.

“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 ‘Ketewa Biara 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,” said Ofori-Atta on Thursday, July 29.

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 to join in the GH₵100 a month initiative,” he said, beaming with smiles.

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 which was proposed by the government in March 2017 is expected to cash in on the religious tourism industry valued at US$18billion.

The design for the cathedral was unveiled by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in March 2018.

At the time, he said the construction was in fulfillment of a promise he made to God in the run-up to the December 2016 elections.