We are not insensitive – Joyce Aryee speaks on National Cathedral brouhaha

A member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, Rev Dr Joyce Rosalind Aryee has debunked the assertion of insensitivity on the part of government and leadership of the cathedral for pushing through with the project in the face of the country economic challenges.

Speaking on GhanaTonight on TV3 on Tuesday, December 27, monitored by GhanaPlus.com, she said as believers they are not insensitive.

Rev Dr Aryee, a former Minister of state and Founder of the Salt and Light  Ministries noted to most of them, it is a delight to be called upon to lead such a project in honour of God hence the resilience to make sure it is brought to life.

“I’d like to reassure everybody that as believer we are not insensitive. We’re not insensitive and I say it is even a delight for a lot of us to be called upon by God to make a contribution to something that which is going to give Him delight,”.

Making references to the scriptures, 2 Corinthians 7:15 and Hagar 1:18, she said she and many others a delighted to be contributing towards the building of the National Cathedral.

“I like how God put it, He says in the book of 2 Corinthian 7:15 that during the dedication, we will put his name where the temple is.  And then when you read the book of Hagar 1: 8 It says that when we build he will be pleased with it and rejoice so it is a joy for us to contribute,” Ms Aryee said.

National Cathedral

The National Cathedral of Ghana, a pledge made to God by Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo prior to his elections in 2016 has become unpopular among the citizens due to the large sums of government revenues being channeled into its development despite the country’s economic challenges.

As of November this year, government have spent a whooping GH¢339,003,064.86 on the project estimated to cost some $200million initially, and $370million currently.

Few days ago, Ghana’s Parliament rejected a 80million budget allocation to the project in the 2023 budget statement.

The planned interdenominational Christian cathedral to be hosted in Accra  was  lunched in 2018 by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

“Speaking at the launch, President Akufo Addo said “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.

It was designed by British-Ghanaian architect, David Adjaye.

Source: GhanaPlus.com