The Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the construction of the national cathedral.
Mr. Richard Ahiagbah rejected assertions that the project is ill-conceived, emphasizing its continued advancement.
“I think that the cathedral project is a work in progress. I think that for any project of that magnitude to begin you dig a foundation and you build it out. And so, where it is at, it is at the appropriate stage where in time the structure would be put on it. So, for me, I don’t see any real challenge. I don’t see any appearance of waste because necessarily you must dig the pit and build on it. So, if people want to capitalize that we are building a pit, we haven’t built it out, what I tell them is that it is just a matter of time and the structure would come out.”
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“What I am very resolute and clear in my mind about is the commitment to build this and I believe that that commitment and desire to build a national cathedral for the country I think is a noble one and what we have to do is to continue in this effort and I believe that good people will come and support this project for it to see the light of day… “This cathedral thing, I think people make it seem to appear as if it is a misplaced project. It is not… What I think is our solution is that let’s get more revenue and more resources and build all of these things that we are looking for. And let’s not in the process underestimate the importance of one thing over the other,” he stated.
His comments follows a symbolic commissioning of the uncompleted project by some Minority Members of Parliament, led by North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Their intention was to highlight what they perceive as the government’s failure to complete the project on schedule.
Initially barred by security personnel from accessing the construction site, the opposition MPs eventually negotiated to stand at the entrance where they planned to hold a press conference expressing their discontent with the project’s ongoing costs and progress.
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The National Cathedral, originally slated for commissioning on March 6 according to former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s 2021 budget statement, has faced criticism, particularly from minority MPs who question its expenditure.
Despite being denied entry, the Minority MPs used the opportunity to symbolically commission the incomplete cathedral.
