National Cathedral: Minority Blocks GH¢80 Million Funding For Controversial Project

• Minority MPs have blocked the allocation of GH¢80 million for the controversial national cathedral project at the committee level
• The Trade and Industry Committee voted against the allocation for the cathedral project by 11 to 10 majority decision
• Minority MPs say the country does not need such a cash-demanding project considering its current economic situation

Despite government’s unflinching decision to expend scarce funds on the construction of a national cathedral, the Minority is making sure that does not happen.

In what may be described as a rare win for the Minority legislators, they managed to secure a vote to block the allocation of a whopping GH¢80 million for the controversial project.

The funds had been allocated in the 2023 budget and needed the approval of the legislative committee chaired by the Minority.

However, on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, the Trade and Industry Committee voted against the allocation for the cathedral project by 11 to 10 majority decision.

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A member of the committee and the legislator for Bole-Bamboi Yussif Sulemana explained that the committee rejected the allocation because members were not impressed by documents presented to back the allocation.

The decision of the bi-partisan parliamentary committee is binding on the government.

"We have voted against it and we are saying that this is not the time for us to be spending that huge sum of money on building a cathedral," Sulemana told the media.

He is not alone in this thinking.

Already, a lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana has added his voice to preponderance of appeals to government to suspend the project.

Dr Kwame Asah-Asante believes the project is of no importance to the country.

“Take the National Cathedral money and give it to the security people to protect us. The cathedral cannot protect anybody,” he was blunt.

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Many civil society organisations in Ghana believe a country that has run to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for $3 billion bailout cash amid defaults on foreign debt payments cannot expend an estimated $400 million on a project that many feel is misplaced.

Work Suspended On Controversial Project Due to Lack Of Funds

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported in an August 2022 that work on the National Cathedral project had been suspended because funds had run out.

Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah disclosed that labours on site had been suspended,

He said unless the public supports the project, the government would be unable to complete the project that backers say would make Ghana the centre for religious tourism in Africa.

Source: YEN.com.gh