National Cathedral: Gov’t will do no error funding it 100% – Kabila

Former Acting General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), James Kwabena Bomfeh, (Kabila) has said government has not erred in releasing some 25million Ghana Cedis as additional seed money for the construction of the National Cathedral.

Additionally, the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo led government will not err if it decides to shoulder all cost for the construction of the facility.

That according to him, was because government has the backing of the Supreme Court do so per the outcome of the case he filed against the construction of the facility in 2017.

Kabila made the comment on TV3 NewDay on Wednesday, June 8, monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

“…fortunately for you as a government, the decision by the Supreme Court has giving you a backing that you can go ahead and do it….If by the decision in the case Bonfeh sent to the Supreme Court if government is 100 percent sponsoring the building of the National Cathedral, they have done no error,” he said.

Kabila sues Gov’t over National Cathedral

It could be recalled the Kabila in 2017, filed a suite at the Supreme Court to prevent government from partaking in the construction of the 5,000-seater national cathedral.

His writ was seeking “a declaration that the decision of the Government of Ghana to purposely endorse, assist, aid, partly sponsor, and/or support the construction of a National Cathedral near the State House of Ghana, for Christian interdenominational church services amounts to an excessive entanglement of the Republic of Ghana and religion and therefore unconstitutional”

However, the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision on Wednesday, January 23 held that the decision of the state had not breached any constitutional provision.

He explained per that ruling, government is within its right to support the project or even fund it fully.

Speaking on the concerns that the National Cathedral was a personal promise, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made to God, he opined he had seen instances where personal promises had turn into national agenda and this is no exception.

“The president initially had this as a personal pledge to God. I know that there are a times when personal pledges by individuals on the basis of mandate can metamorphosis in to a national priorities. And fortunately for you as a government the decision by the Supreme Court has giving you a backing   that you can go ahead and do it” Kabila said.

“My bottom line is that government ought to own up. At the end of the day this National Cathedral from all that I can put together is not just a religious facility,” he added.

Gov’t release GH₵ 25m for the construction of National cathedral

Kabila made the comment when contributing to discussions about the 25million Ghana Cedis release by government as additional seed money for the construction of the National Cathedral in Accra.

A letter sighted by GhanaPlus.com, dated March 31 and signed by the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta said “Authority is hereby granted to release the sum of 25million Ghana Cedis as additional seed money to the National Cathedral Secretariat for the construction of the National Cathedral for part payment of the outstanding claim from RIBADE.”

The letter addressed to the Controller and Accountant General has since sparked agitations with many questioning what government’s priorities are?

National Cathedral

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo in 2018 lunched the National Cathedral project, a planned interdenominational Christian cathedral to be hosted in Accra.

He revealed, the project was a pledge he made to God prior to his elections in 2016.

“Rather and again, like Solomon on that occasion, the building of the National Cathedral is to serve as a gesture of a thanksgiving to God for his blessings, favour, grace and mercies on our nation and to give me an opportunity to redeem a pledge I made to Him before I became a president,” he said.

“It will provide us with an avenue to all the nation to prayer, to worship, to celebrate and to mourn. It will house a Bible Museum and will be an ionic infrastructure for national, regional and international pilgrimage and tourism.  It will create jobs and serve as a catalyst for technology and skills transfer into our country,” the president said at the launch of the National Cathedral in Accra”.

The world class facility when completed will host a 5, 000 seater auditorium, chapels, a baptistery, a music school, an art gallery and a museum dedicated to the bible.

Source: GhanaPlus.com