Gov’t to give “seed money”, raise funds for Nat’l Cathedral

The government of Ghana will launch a national fundraising campaign for the construction of the National Cathedral on 28 December 2018 and February 2019 in the United States of America, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has said.

According to him, the state is facilitating the construction of the cathedral by providing “the land, the secretariat and seed money for the preparatory phase”.

The government, according to Mr Ofori-Atta, has proposed a partnership between the state and Ghanaian Christians both at home and abroad, to finance the project.

Mr Ofori-Atta said these in parliament on Thursday, 15 November 2018 when he delivered the 2019 budget statement.

“Mr. Speaker, the president is determined that the building of the National Cathedral would not put undue financial burdens on the state. He has, therefore, proposed a partnership between the State and the Ghanaian Christian community both at home and in the Diaspora. The formal launch of this national fundraising campaign is slated for December 28, 2018, in Ghana, and February 2019 in the United States.

“This National Cathedral partnership framework operationalises, and, indeed, is a practical expression of the social partnership envisaged to foster the participatory development of the country as our collective goal,” he said.

Just a few days ago, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams had criticised Christians for fighting the proposal to put up the cathedral.

He wondered why Christians were fighting the project “as though it is their money that would be used for it.”

“The Muslims have built a National Mosque and nobody has complained about it. But a National Cathedral, where there will be the first of its kind bible museums with the different characters in the bible being showcased where children, families, people will travel from far and near to pay and come and look; and it shall stand for God and country, as a memorial, we’ll oppose it: ‘Who is funding it? Who is giving to it? Who is financing it? Where is the money coming from?’ As if somebody has asked you for your money.

“And we’ll oppose it, even when we don’t understand it. We won’t ask the questions, we criticise things, we fight everything”, the Action Chapel International founder fumed on Sunday, 11 November 2018 during his second sermon.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of a National Cathedral on 6 March 2017 – the 60th year of Ghana’s independence.

The cathedral is expected to provide the space for national events of a religious nature. A National monument, the Cathedral will house chapels and baptistery, 5000-seat main auditorium, expandable to 15000 people for national events and celebrations.

It will include among others, a grand central hall, a music school, and will house Africa’s first-ever Bible Museum and documentation centre.

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com