National Cathedral is a noble idea but a misplaced priority and there is no way I will contribute to this course, the General Overseer of the Prophet Hill Chapel, Prophet Nigel Gaisie has vowed.
His comments come after the government through the Finance Ministry ordered the release of GH¢25m seed money for the project.
Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Friday, he said the timing is wrong as govenment could have used the money to fix what he describes as the ailing economy.
“I think it is a noble idea but the timing is wrong. And even where it is situated is wrong. They could have even relocated it to a place such as Dodowa, Shai Hill and those areas. People are hungry in this country and we need money to fix this mess we find ourselves in and not a National Cathedral,” he noted.
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According to him, if the President pledged to build the National Cathedral for the glory of God, he could have built a cathedral in his hometown with his private money and not with taxpayers’ money.
A letter circulating and signed by the Finance Minister shows that the Government of Ghana under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has granted the release of GH¢25 million to the National Cathedral Secretariat as additional seed money for the construction of the National Cathedral.
The money was to be credited to RIBADE Limited for part payment of outstanding claims, according to a letter signed by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to the Controller and Accountant’s General.
But the Minority has reacted upon sighting this letter. In a press briefing, the Minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the letter comes as a surprise to them, especially since there was no allocation of money to the cathedral in the 2022 budget.