Gov’t not backing out of Cathedral Plans – Dep Minister

The Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has said, government backing out of the plan to have a National Cathedral is not a likely option.

Paul Essien in an interview with Raymond Acquah on UPFRONT on the JOYNEWS channel stressed the benefits the nation stands to gain, once the Cathedral is built.

According to him, once the board which is to oversee the building of the edifice is set up, the Ministry is on standby to give it the assistance it needs.

“Government is not putting anything into the building of the Cathedral that will make it say it is backing out or otherwise.

“One thing I believe in [and that is what my faith tells me] is that when there is something coming up and probably that thing is very good, the enemy tries to fight it,” he said.

There has been public uproar since it emerged that the homes of some judges would have to be pulled down to make way for the cathedral with some critics questioning the need for the monument.

But the Deputy Minister said, “there are blessings in there so if there is somebody out there who doesn’t understand why this Cathedral should be built, they should consider the blessings for all of us as a nation.”

Earlier in the year, the architect behind the project, Sir David Adjaye predicted the building may stir controversy but justified its relevance.

“I know the idea of the Cathedral will be tough for some people to take and they will ask why the monument when there are a million other things to do for the country, but I think I understand the philosophy of what the president is trying to do,” he said.

Sir Ajaye who said he was inspired by the president’s vision to build the edifice added “if you look at what the Cathedral is, a sacred space for the nation. It is not a religious daily church and not a space for daily worship.”

According to him, just as parliament represents the democracy of the people, therein within the National Cathedral is the soul of the people which the country does not have yet.

Empahsising on the powerful global symbolism of a place like a National Cathedral in the name of Ghana, Sir Ajaye argued that it is about building Ghana in all its parts.

“It fulfils its ability to project that kind of ambition into the world, so it is the embodiment of the sacred of the nation,” he said.

Credit: myjoyonline