Turn Akufo-Addo’s stalled National Cathedral Project into a multi-purpose building

The next government after this Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led regime should convert the proposed Cathedral project into a multi-purpose building with a National library and Museum instead for the following reasons.

The personal pledge of President Akufo-Addo to build God a Cathedral if he won the 2016 general elections has now become a national burden.

This Akufo-Addo's Cathedral building project was not made known to Ghanaians until he won the Presidential elections in 2016. The public conversations surrounding this controversial National Cathedral Project was that it was not going to be funded by Ghanaian taxes since it was a personal pledge made by the President to God. Thus, this Cathedral project was going to be supported solely by benevolent individuals within and without the country.

Many critical national assets including Judges’ residences, office of the Scholarship Secretariat, an Ambassy and other offices had to make way for the foundation of the proposed Cathedral project to be erected.

Although the foundation of this National Cathedral building project has been laid several years ago, it is still referred to as a ‘big hole’ sitting in the middle of Accra.

This Cathedral project is not only stalled for running of funds due to suspected mismanagement and/or corruption but also led to resignation of some key members of the Board of Trustees due to opaqueness and insincerity from the Presidency as well as eyebrows-raising double identity issues.

Emanating from the lack of adequate accountability and corruption-related matters in the ongoing Cathedral building project to the people of Ghana, the intention of President Akufo-Addo to build this Cathedral is soiled and being questionable to many.

Unimpeachably, God deserves our undivided devotion, love, and attention but God Himself does not just look at our actions but also the intentions that go them.

Thus, the idea of the National Cathedral building project is acceptable to all of us, the questionable actions and inactions of the Presidency has soiled this Cathedral project for God.

President Akufo-Addo was calling Ghanaians names as ‘Tobiah and Sanballat’ (literally meaning enemies of his Cathedral project for God)’ because of lack of accountability and inconsistencies from the Presidency. This is obviously worrying!

The general mismanagement of the economy, worsened corruption scandals, insecurity, etc. under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government should rather be the major concern of this government but not pumping several millions of dollars into the stalled Cathedral building project, which is still a ‘big hole’ in Accra.

The poor state of Ghana’s economy coupled with serious developmental issues such as no adequate food for free SHS students, ill-equipped hospitals, deplorable roads and worsening dumsor situation in the country should be the pre-occupation of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led regime instead of wasting taxpayers’ money on a project that is a personal pledge to God and a misplaced priority.

The stalled National Cathedral Project should rather be turned into a multi-purpose building to house many facilities including a modern national library, museum, etc. that majority of Ghanaians want to be part of this multi-purpose project in the next government.