By Helga Gokah
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has lamented that the amount of money going down the drain just to pave way for the construction of the National Cathedral is unwarranted.
Earlier this month, the government announced the release of GHC 25million Ghana Cedis as seed money for the commencement of The National Cathedral which generated a lot of controversies in the country.
Speaking to Kafui Dey on the GTV Breakfast Show on Monday, June 13, 2022, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa said millions of Ghana Cedis is going down the drain and a number of government property have been destroyed just to make way for only one edifice, The National Cathedral.
He recounted the demolishing of 21 townhouses for judges, razing down of the newly renovated Passport Office, the affected Malian Ambassador’s residence and the costs now available for Ghana to incur in reconstructing new edifices for the judges and the Malian Ambassador.
Citing the scheduled reconstruction of the Accra International Conference Centre, the North Tongu MP said the two projects could have been merged to save cost.
“Couldn’t we have merged it, so that we wouldn’t demolish the 21 town houses for the judges, now we are spending $5,000 every month on their temporary accommodation. We are also spending Millions of Ghana Cedis building new houses for them. Then demolish the Passport Office that we renovated and relocate it at 10 million Ghana Cedis. The Malian Ambassador’s residence that was razed down. Now a new piece of land had to be secured for them at the airport for residential…. millions of dollars, and now they are waiting for us to build the residence for them,” he recounted.
Quoting the Population and Housing report which places unemployment on an all time high of 13.4% in Ghana, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa challenged the government on its decision to build the National Cathedral in the face of such numerous economic crises facing the country.
The 350-million inter-denominational Cathedral is expected to have a 5,000 seater auditorium as well as chapels and a baptistery. It is targeted to be completed in March 2024.
