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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has likened persons opposing the construction of the National Cathedral to Sanballat and Tobias in the days of Nehemiah.

The project continues to generate debate especially following current economic woes facing the country. Some pundits have suggested that government should put a hold on the project until the economy stabilizes.

Cathedral can't save us

A Senior Lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Dr Asah Asante says money for the project should be diverted to security personnel to "protect us".

“Take the National Cathedral money and give it to the security people to protect us. The cathedral cannot protect anybody. There is nobody that is dying that we need the cathedral to protect. We need the people alive. So the security people must be given their money”.



Sanballat and Tobias

President Akufo-Addo who was delivering a speech on Sunday, December 18, 2022, at the centenary celebration of the Ga Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana highlighted the importance of the project saying it “will serve not only as the country’s collective thanksgiving to the Almighty for the blessings He has bestowed on our nation, sparing us the ravages of civil war that have bedevilled the histories of virtually all our neighbours and the outbreak of deadly mass epidemics. But also as a rallying point for the entire Christian community of Ghana, which represents 70-plus per cent of the population.”

According to him, “just like Sanballat and Tobias, in the days of Nehemiah, there are some who do not share my views on the building of the National Cathedral, I respect their right to differ but I am confident my decision, by the vast numbers of enthusiastic supporters of this project whose spiritual dimension is limitless”.

Budget allocation blocked

Meanwhile, the Trade, Industry and Tourism committee of parliament on Tuesday rejected the budget allocation for the construction of the National Cathedral.

The minority side of the committee won by an 11:10 majority decision to reject the GH¢80 million budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for the National Cathedral of Ghana.

The allocation was contained in the Appropriations Bill of the 2023 fiscal policy of the ruling government.