National Cathedral: Islamic Organisations Accuse Project CEO Of Lying About State Funding Of National Mosque

• Coalition of Muslim Organisations Ghana has accused the CEO of the National Cathedral project of lying that the Government of Ghana contributed resources to the National Mosque
• COMOG said Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah allegedly made the statement to justify the GH¢25 million of state money disbursed as seed money for the cathedral project
• COMOG President Hajj AbdelRahman wants Dr Opoku-Mensah to retract the alleged false claim and render an unqualified apology to the Muslim community in Ghana

The Coalition of Muslim Organisations Ghana (COMOG) has said the CEO of the National Cathedral project peddled falsehood when he said the state contributed funds to erecting the National Mosque.

COMOG President Hajj Abdel-Manan AbdelRahman has released a statement dated Monday, June 13, 2022, accusing Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah of lying that the Government of Ghana spent state resources on the construction of the National Mosque located at Kanda in Accra.

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“He made this spurious statement on the GTV Talking Point program aired on the evening of Sunday the 12th June 2022. We the Coalition of Muslim Organisations Ghana, on behalf of all Muslim organisations in Ghana, wish to state unequivocally, and without any fear or favour that, not a single pesewa from the state by any political regime was contributed to the construction of the Kanda National Mosque.

“The CEO of the National Cathedral made this statement in an attempt to justify the sum of over GH¢25millions of state resources as seed money for the construction of the most controversial project in Ghana today, the National Cathedral.

“As a Muslim Organisation with the mandate to protect the image and sanctity of Islam and the reputation of the Ummah in Ghana, we can't tolerate such a deliberate falsehood by a high profile appointee of Dr. Opoku-Mensah's stature when indeed, the facts do not support his claim," the statement stressed.

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The COMOG President also claimed that Muslims in Ghana have rather been shortchanged because after the Accra Central Mosque was pulled down by the state, the government compensated them “with a bare land.”

“Our magnanimity towards the state and our commitment to peaceful coexistence must not be misconstrued by some people to be a weakness,” Hajj AbdelRahman warned.

COMOG, therefore, wants Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah to retract the alleged deliberate falsehood and apologise to the entire Muslim community in Ghana.

National Cathedral: Ofori-Atta raises total budget for construction from $200m to $350m

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported that on the same GTV programme, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta revealed that the total cost of constructing the National Cathedral is $350 million although a top official had previously announced $200 million.

This is the second time the total cost of putting up the controversial edifice has been changed.

In August 2021, Secretary to the Board of Trustees in charge of the National Cathedral Victor Kusi Boateng gave an estimated budget of $200 million when he spoke to Joy News.

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Source: YEN.com.gh