Construction Of National Cathedral Threatens National Peace – TUC Tells Prez.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has finally waded into matters regarding the construction of a national cathedral, saying, its erection may start a religious brawl that could divide Ghanaians further.

The TUC foresees a crack in the rope of peace that keeps Ghana united if government continues with its plan to build a national sanctuary for Christians in the country.

Government, in its bid to psych Ghanaians to accept what they perceive as a ‘priority among priorities’ had argued that the cathedral will serve as a rallying point to strengthen unity among the people of Ghana.

But TUC in a statement released on Monday said, “The construction of a cathedral for only Christians may even divide us further because there are many other religions in Ghana.”

“Christians may constitute the majority of the population but that does not make Christianity a national religion and it should not be seen as more important than the other religions,” the statement read.

It continued: “If the proposed cathedral is for the glorification of God, we would like to refer the President to the Book of Acts 7:48-49 in the Christian Bible:
“The Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? Says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?”

Instead of building an edifice that could catalyze the country’s woes, the TUC advised that government invest the resources garnered into social interventions including providing clean water for the over six million Ghanaians who do not have it.

Highlighting a number of challenges facing the country in recent times, the TUC asked why a cathedral should be “a priority among priorities.”

“Why should government use scarce national resources to construct a national cathedral when we have all these social and economic challenges to deal with?” they quizzed.

They argue that the current unprecedented economic hardship facing the country, makes the project unfounded and “even the Good Lord will not approve this project.”

The union therefore appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to shelve the ‘cathedral plan’ or face a vehement campaign against this ‘misplace priority in order to protect the national purse.

“The TUC will continue to support government initiatives that seek to address the social and economic challenges facing our country…But we cannot support the construction of a national cathedral,” they stressed.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey