Even the Bible wants what is due to Ceaser (Government) given to Ceaser and what is due to God (The Church) given to God by the Citizens.
Even Christ in his teachings drew a sharp curtain between the duties of the state and the church and how citizens should contribute separately to each of them.
Why must funds meant for the state be given to the church when its congregants are already funding the church through tithes, collections, special offerings, Kofi ne Ama etc?
The unacceptable pinnacle of this whole weird National Cathedral thing which was being funded by State money under the orders of the president is the fact that Ghana is a Multi-Religious country with each Religion duly acknowledged by our constitution, so on what grounds does the president choose to be biased by Prioritizing Christianity over other religions?
There was no need for any Cathedral, let alone talk about its members of the Board and their Modus Operandi being shrouded in secrecy.
Let me ease your mind as to why our Health and Educational ministers, their numerous deputies and their chief directors could not post our trained Essential Workers and how that is due to the Cathedral project.
You see before The ministers and the chief directors could post these professionals to the already Understaffed state institutions, they needed Financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance, to confirm that indeed the state had money to pay for the services of these professionals.
That money which could have given the clearance was what was sunk into the Bottomless Pit of the Supposed National Cathedral.
We talk about the wastage in our public sector’s economy and point fingers at Ghost Names in our payroll system.
The biggest Ghost Names scandal in the history of this country is the National Cathedral where GHOST Iron rods, Ghost Cements, Ghost Sand, Ghost gravels, Ghost contractors, Ghost concrete mixers, Ghost loading boys, Ghost carpenters, Ghost Tylers, Ghost Masons and other Ghost employees cost the Ghanaian Tax Payer, over $400 million American dollars.
I still maintain my position that if the Catholics, the Presbyterians, the Methodists, the Anglicans etc, needed a church, they would have built one themselves like they have always done.
Even the one-man churches have built churches and properties that are far bigger and more expensive than this “Senseless Cathedral of Doom”
As the comparison of how other countries like the UK, France etc have built monumental churches and Cathedrals, I say, let each country build what they prioritize.
The priority of our Dear poor Ghana is to build our Economy, build the capacity of our Youth and ready them for the Job Market, build our Transport infrastructure, Build our Ridiculous Energy Sector, expand more state institutions and enterprises, and build the positive Patriotic mindset of its citizens not a “Senseless Cathedral of Doom!
By: Osei Kofi Acquah (National Communications Director, CPP)