Building National Cathedral: A Misplaced Priority – Rex Omar

Veteran highlife musician,  Rex Owusu Marfo, known in music circles as Rex Omar has added his voice to the ongoing debate and talks of building a national cathedral, whiles others especially government communicators sees it as a loudable idea, he sees building a national cathedral a very bad step to be taken by government.

According to him, building a national cathedral is a misplaced priority.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on March 6, 2018 unveiled an architectural design for the construction of a national cathedral.

The design, which was inspired by the concept of unity, harmony, and spirituality, is a heritage project to commemorate the 60th independence anniversary of Ghana.

The project has been proposed to be cited on 14 acres of gardens near the Osu Cemetery in Accra, and it will be a gathering place for people of all faiths.

Some judges have already been given eviction notices to vacate their residences to make way for the construction of the structure.

There has since been heated public debate about the need or otherwise of a national cathedral as well as the proposed location for the project.

But in a facebook post from Head of Affairs of Ghana Music Rights Association sighted by thepublisheronline.com, he expressed his disappointment in government for accepting to build a national cathedral over other essential priorities.

”NATIONAL CATHEDRAL IS A MISPLACED PRIORITY  – #TheTruthShallSetYouFree” – he quizzed.

According to him, the focus should rather be on renovating other public facilities to serve the same purpose.

But Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, a Member of Parliament for Assin South of New Patriotic Party [NPP] has fired back at critics of the National Cathedral project describing their arguments as misguided and infantile.

“It is extremely infantile and misguided for any individual or group to think that improved and cohesive relations between the Government and religious leaders are deemed interference in religious matters,” he stated.

The Coalition of Muslim Organisations, Ghana (COMOG) has on the other hand chastised government over the project saying it constitutes an interference in religious matters in a secular state like Ghana.

“The coalition would like to express serious concern about the increasing involvement of the Government of Ghana in religious matters and its implication for national unity and cohesion…Just as the Government of Ghana has not been involved in the construction of religious edifices for Muslims, Traditionalists, Hindus etc, it should not be involved in the efforts by Christians to build themselves a cathedral,” COMOG stated.