Lawyer Obiri Boahen, the former Deputy General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has expressed his criticism of the national cathedral project led by Nana Akufo-Addo.
Boahen believes that this project should not have been a priority for his party.
In his opinion, the government should have focused on investing in projects that would have facilitated the establishment of dialysis clinics across the country. This would have provided much-needed assistance to individuals in need of dialysis services.
Boahen emphasized that a country should prioritize the availability of essential medical equipment, such as dialysis machines, before embarking on grand projects like a national cathedral. He argued that if a hospital like the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital lacks such vital equipment, then the government should not divert resources toward building a religious structure.
According to Boahen, the funds allocated for the construction of the national cathedral could have been better utilized for the development of hospitals, the improvement of road infrastructure, or the advancement of railway projects.
In summary, Boahen’s stance reflects his belief that the national cathedral project was not the most pressing issue for the government to address. He advocates for prioritizing investments in healthcare, transportation, and infrastructure development for the benefit of the Ghanaian people.
“If every NPP member will rejoice over the cathedral’s construction, I will not do that,” the outspoken politician added. The money spent on the cathedral’s construction could have gone towards other essential projects.
“The project should not have been our main focus. The funds may have been used to build railways. We could have extended railways from Accra to other locations.
“We are recording multiple traffic accidents, and the money could have been used to address those as well. I told them to abandon the project. It is not a priority. With this project, we could have built multiple hospitals. When you live in a country without dialysis machines in our big hospitals and learn that we are constructing a cathedral, you are concerned.”
Meanwhile, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and Eastwood Anaba have resigned from their positions on the Board of Trustees responsible for overseeing the construction of the National Cathedral in Ghana.
The National Cathedral, a project aimed at serving as a unifying national place of worship and a source of pride for the Ghanaian people, has been a topic of discussion and controversy since its inception. In a joint statement issued by Archbishop Duncan-Williams and Reverend Anaba, they cited the government’s failure to appoint an independent accounting firm to conduct an audit of all public funds contributed towards the National Cathedral as the reason for their resignation.
“Despite our prayers, best hopes and wishes, unfortunately, a needed audit to help restore public confidence and trust in this consequential project has not been enacted to the best of our knowledge. Since January 2023, we awaited news to no avail, regarding the finding of the audit.
“We, therefore, regret that, as a matter of conscience and faith, we hereby submit to you our resignation from the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral.” Click here to read more.
