The National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of ridiculing the exalted task of building a National Cathedral to honor God.
He indicated that like any other projects undertaken by governments over the years, the National Cathedral will take time to materialize. He argued that the National Cathedral is an elevated project and needs more funds to complete it.
“And if it is an elevated project like a National Cathedral, the kind we envision, then the foundation represents the heart of the project, hence the cost. What I know is that the Cathedral project is a work in progress. If we persevere, it will be completed”.
Richard Ahiagbah
Mr. Richard Ahiagbah further admonished the NDC to stop ridiculing and politicizing the National Cathedral project. He stated that the NDC should look for a better campaign message that serves Ghanaians better.
The National Cathedral project was commissioned in 2018 as one of the party’s flagship projects. The National Cathedral after its completion was supposed to serve as an interdenominational Christian worship place that would be used for state religious functions.
The National Cathedral was also intended to be a tourist attraction site as it will feature biblical events brought to life through arts and wood carvings. The National Cathedral project also boasts of a Board of Trustees and a Secretariat which is to aid with its operationalization once the completed project has been commissioned.
Since the inception of the National Cathedral project, it has received some criticism from the general public about the feasibility of the project. Ghanaians questioned how the government was going to fund the project. The government however stated that the funding for the project would not be taken from the Public Consolidated Fund but from donations from interested persons and groups.
The government then promised in 2021 that the National Cathedral Project would be completed and commissioned on the 6th of March 2024, a promise the incumbent failed to deliver on and for which the government is being criticized.
NDC’s Commissioning Of The National Cathedral
Upon the failed promise of the President to commission the National Cathedral on Ghana’s Independence Day in 2024, some members of the NDC caucus in parliament and some party officials set to ‘commission’ the uncompleted project as a form of ridiculing the government for failing miserably at delivering the pledge.
The NDC entourage, despite being obstructed by some security officers from the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces from accessing the project site, ‘commissioned’ the project in the presence of the media.
During the ‘commissioning’, the NDC led by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa demanded some accountability from the President concerning the expenditure made on the project from its inception until the present day.
The NDC also demanded that the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral be dissolved as the government is paying a practically non-performing board. The NDC also asked for an account of all expenses made at the National Cathedral Secretariat.
The NDC further demanded the prosecution of individuals who caused financial loss to the State concerning the National Cathedral project. He also demanded that the trustees of the project must account for every private donation made to the project.
The leader of the group, Hon. Ablakwa suggested a national debate be held regarding the project. He indicated that the debate will help build a consensus on what becomes of the uncompleted National Cathedral project.
The NDC over the last couple of days has been ridiculing the failed National Cathedral project using it as an arsenal point in discrediting the incumbent government. The NPP however continues to defend the project stating that it is a project aimed at “honoring God“.
