The Cathedral And The Commitment

Ghana is constitutionally not a religious nation. However, socially it is. Christianity dominates followed by Islam, courtesy colonialism. Nevertheless, when the issue of the national cathedral came up initially, it met public disapprovals from even some of the religious and their councils. The second time it did with the allocation of the site by the committed President Akuffo Addo government, the public resistance again remain almost intact as visible in the print, electronic and social media.

The third time it came up and this in the reading of the national budget the public resistance of those opposing Christians is practically nonexistent or nowhere near the first two indignations. It waned. Let us ask why. To understand the why, let us go back to sunday 11th November 2018. On this date, Archbishop Duncan William in his preaching lambasted the Ghanaian Christian community, constituting the majority in the country, that some among them are opposing the building of this cathedral because of NDC and NPP partisan politics. In other words, that this cathedral is to honor the Lord alone is enough to cover up for its unreasonableness as a national project.

In the Ghanaian Christian world, Duncan William is “Paapa” and his utterances hold sway over many. Four days after on 15th, the Finance Minister of the nation announced the allocation of some money for the building of this cathedral. Expectedly, the Ghanaian Christian community with its various councils and including the laities who initially opposed this project for its true frivolity went silent. The Akuffo Addo Government is seemingly free to initiate the unconstitutional act of marshalling the machinery of secular state in service of a particular religion, Christianity. Why this commitment if indeed this project is just Christian project?

Let me speculate reasonably about this unreasonable cathedral project and the unreasonable commitment of the Akuffo Addo government in pursuit of its execution. There certainly is an aim to it in the grand scheme of things. Of all, there is election nearby. The economy is admittedly physically worst on the ground. The Free SHS has become a burden to the government than the solution it supposed to be to the people. In fact, it is no longer a solution to even the people as promised because the people, through all kinds and increased taxes they pay, are shouldering government’s burden.

The Chinese government does not release loan willingly as the previous government learnt in pursuit of only 3 billion dollars. Yet this government is pursuing 50 billion dollars. The issued bonds are hardly finding their way into any infrastructural development. President Akuffo Addo needs a miracle. And the Christian community led by Duncan William had assured him on the condition that a national cathedral be erected onto the believed lord first. Nothing but desperation for miracle would explain this equally unreasonable commitment of President Akuffo Addo’s government to this unreasonable cathedral project. When Ghana prays symbolically in the national cathedral, the Chinese loan would come earlier than expected and that is if at all.

Meanwhile, no matter the conviction of the President and the Christian community of whatever roles this cathedral is purported to play spiritually and/or physically, using the state resources in any form for this is one of the worst precedence to set. In other words, the vehicular nature of religion and in particular Christianity for perpetration of corruption, stupidity and unconstitutional acts constituting wastage of resources in the name of national spiritual goals remain unabated here in Ghana and Africa.

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