Former President John Mahama has stated that the National Cathedral project must be halted due to the country’s economic difficulties.
He stated that due to the lack of transparency in the project’s processes and procurements, the edifice cannot be the government’s top priority.
In a Facebook post, Mahama stated that a value-for-money audit should be conducted to allow believers who wish to contribute to the construction of the National Cathedral to do so.
“The public funding of the national cathedral, particularly at this time, must stop. 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 processes and procurements associated with the project, I believe that the cathedral 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.” He said in a Facebook post.
The construction of the cathedral has alarmed some Ghanaians, particularly the Minority in Parliament.
Some Ghanaians urged the government to halt the construction or face a campaign against it to protect the national purse.
For example, North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa questioned the government’s decision to release GH25 million for the project in the face of economic challenges.
On March 5, 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, accompanied by senior members of the clergy, laid the foundation stone for the Cathedral, signaling the start of construction.
While construction continues, a National Cathedral Secretariat has been established to raise funds from individuals and the private sector.
