Leading member of pressure group OccupyGhana, Ace Anan Ankomah, has hit back at critics of the planned construction of a national cathedral in Accra.
There is a huge public outcry over government’s decision to facilitate the construction of a 5,000 seater capacity auditorium to host all formal state occasions of religious nature.
Already, government, following its decision to relocate some Appeals Court judges to make way for the construction of the edifice, has been chastised for “failing to get its priorities right.”
Already, a suit has been filed at the apex court by the Convention Peoples Party’s James Bomfeh, challenging government’s interest in embarking on such a project in a secular country as Ghana.
Prominent legal practitioner, Samson Anyenini, giving his take on the issue, questioned the relevance of the project and asked that it should be embarked on along the motorway where there existed vast acres of land.
“…there must be plenty naked land in Accra (vast acres along the motorway) for this project if it is a priority at all.” he said
However, speaking at an event in Accra, Lawyer Ace Ankomah has asked persons criticizing proposed project to remember that it was the church that built the best schools and health facilities in the country.
According to him, suggestions from persons for the edifice to be constructed away from the main Accra township made made it look like Christians were “cursed lepers”.
“When people talk about the church and that the church does not deservie land in accra to build a cathedral that only seats 5,000 people and that they should find a place for them at [the] motorway as if we are some curse lepers” he said
Lawyer Ace Ankomah further reminded the critics that the “vast majority of best schools in Ghana were built by the church…some of the best hospitals have been built by missions”
He maintained that the construction of the edifice, which will be funded by the Christian community, was in thanksgiving to their God.
“…all we want is land on which we will build as our thanks to our God for placing us on this land and they say take them to somewhere in Dodowa.”
Background
President Akufo-Addo on 6th March 2017, cut sod for the construction of the 5,000 seater capacity National Cathedral in line with the country’s 60th Independence Anniversary.
The project is expended to receive funding from the Christian community.
The cathedral will be used for all formal state occasions of a religious nature, such as state funerals, national thanksgiving services and presidential inaugurations.
The edifice will sit on an estimated 14-acre land and will have Chapels, music schools, a Bible Museum and an art gallery.