Building National Cathedral Is My Gov’t’s Top Priority – Akufo Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has defended his government’s decision to construct a National Cathedral, describing the project as a “priority among priorities”.

According to him, the project is very important because it will be a national symbol for Christians and, to a larger extent, all Ghanaians. The President was speaking at an investment forum in London.

The government earlier this year announced plans to construct a National Cathedral to serve as a national non-denominational Christian worship center for Ghana.

The government is to provide 14-acres of public land for the project while the Christian community is to fund the construction of the project.

Many Ghanaians are discontent with the government’s decision with some describing it as a waste of public lands and national resources while others have accused the government of misplaced priorities.
Some judges are to evicted from their homes to pave the way for the construction.

But speaking on the matter for the first at an investment forum in London, President Akufo Addo insisted that the cathedral is a priority for the government.

“People will ask if it (national cathedral) is a priority. It is a priority among priorities. We’ll never find enough money to do everything we want to do. But we have to begin, and that’s what we have started.”

President Akufo-Addo further mentioned that the cathedral when built would serve as a symbolic monument that will unify the citizenry in a Christ-like manner.

“70 percent of the population is Christian. This is the focus that strengthens the community. We find ourselves in need of a symbol that the Ghanaian nation can rally behind. We see elsewhere in the huge world monuments, and we are going to find the means to sort it out.”

Many, including religious leaders and civil society groups, have called on the government to reconsider its priorities as they believe there are other pressing needs to channel the country’s limited resources into.

Meanwhile, a former National Security Coordinator under the erstwhile NDC administration, Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah, has slammed government over its decision to go ahead with the construction of the National Cathedral.

According to him, such a venture will be highly misplaced looking at the current hardships in the country.

What do we need national cathedral for now, don’t we have places of worship in this country?” he questioned in a recent interview.