Former president John Dramani Mahama does not think it is prudent to publicly fund the construction of the National Cathedral when the country is going through economic challenges.
According to Mr Mahama, this is not the time to be committing public resources to non-essential projects including the construction a National Cathedral.
He said this delivering a lecture on the state of the country’s economy, on the theme: ‘Building the Ghana We Want’, Thursday, 27 October 2022.
At the venue, the University of Professional Studies, Accra, Mr Mahama said: “The public funding of the national cathedral, particularly at this time, must stop.”
The former President noted that those resources must rather be invested in reviving the country’s economy.
Stressing he was a Christian himself, he further noted, that the cathedral cannot be prioritised amid the current economic challenges and public funds invested into the construction of the cathedral already, should be audited.
“Being a Christian myself, and deeply appreciative of the centrality of God in nation building, I agree with most Ghanaians who believe that the project cannot constitute a top priority of government at this moment, warranting further injection of scarce public funds.
“Because of the non-transparency of the procurements associated with the project, I believe that the project should be subjected to a value-for-money audit in order to open the way for believers who wish to contribute to its construction to do so,” Mr. Mahama stated.
Despite public outcry about the construction of the cathedral, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has maintained that: “We will surely build the [National] Cathedral.”
Meanwhile, a call centre has been announced for the National Cathedral Project.
The Board of Trustees for the Project announced this at a Press Conference on Monday, October 24, 2024.
The call centre will provide answers to Ghanaians seeking information on the project including how to donate and enhance the relationship between the cathedral and the public.
A member of the Board of Trustees of the Project, Rev Joyce Aryee, was also hopeful that despite the country’s current economic challenges, persons would still donate to complete the National Cathedral.
“Human beings are so resilient. I am 76. I have lived through worse economic times in our country, therefore, I know economic times are as transient as the seasons of life,” she said.
“God has a way of touching our lives in ways that sometimes we don’t understand. We are still going to church, aren’t we? And we are still making donations, aren’t we? But times are difficult and that’s what gives me hope that, never mind how difficult times are, some people will willingly support,” Rev Aryee argued.