[ARTICLE]: Ghana setting straight record

Ghana is a secular country predominantly Christians, follow by Muslims. Over the years this various denominations have lived in harmony, we share almost every public faculty. In fact in every public gathering both the Islamic and Christian faiths are asked to pray before or at the end of every program.

Our peaceful coexistence shouldn’t be taken for granted. Issues with religion are very delicate hence be treated with caution. The insurgency in Nigeria and some other countries should ring a bell.

Now the Cathedral;

I’ve read from various schools of thoughts. The “against and the for” whiles the clergy and those who think alike see  it necessarily to have a national cathedral, COSMOG and some sects of Ghanaians think otherwise.

The argument of the “against” are that, If there’s going to be any edifice of sort then it should be an inter dialogue center serving the purpose of all the religious denominations in the country.

They also argue that building a national cathedral is a misplaced priority and misuse of state funds. In their opinion government should wash off their hands from all religious activities including the organizations of Hajj.

The “for” groups however believe that, there is currently an ongoing project for the Muslims which was  facilitated by government , they also argued that government facilitates annual Hajj program hence it will be hypocritical for Muslims to think building a national cathedral is misplaced.

The merits of both arguments;

Both sides are losing the argument.

First of all government don’t sponsor Muslims for their Hajj, every potential pilgrim pay up to $3000 for their Hajj, government only play a supervisory role because the Islamic Republic of Saudi Arabia  deals with governments and not individual for diplomatic reasons.

Secondly the mosque under construction  at Fadama is a central mosque, not a national mosque for all Muslims. it’s not also true that government out of the blues jump in to facilitate a central mosque. The PNDC government in 1986 demolished the Accra central mosque which was situated in the present day “Rawlings Park” hence government’s intervention comes in a form of compensation.

It’s so disappointing that COSMOG and all the Islamic bodies ain’t arguing on this lines but engage in trivialities.

It is legitimate for the clergy to demand a national cathedral but should that come at the expense of the ordinary tax payer who might not even benefit from this project anyway?

Do the total valuation of the structures to be demolished and the cost of demolition,

value the cost of land for about 6 to 14 hectares In that Prime location.  Cost of rentals for the displaced Judges and the occupants of this place not forgetting the cost of constructing the new bungalows for the judges and offices that were located there.

That will be running into hundreds of millions of cedis and we think this is what the state should be funding at this critical moment where FSHS is becoming an albatross on our neck, high rate of unemployment, government subventions not flowing, a whole country with just about 50 Ambulances, people dying in our hospitals for lack of beds and oxygen? Come on Ghana.

If indeed our religious leaders both Muslims and Christians alike think the Magnificent edifices they are so much craving for are to serve the good  Lord then they should first seek the welfare of the children of God, in my opinion God can take care of himself.

It will be prudent for stakeholders to go back to the drawing board to reconsider this decision. In my opinion government can still provide another parcel of land for this project but not this present location.

Source: www.thepressradio.com/ Ghana/ Bindana Sanusi Kris