The 2024 flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. John Dramani Mahama, says God will be angry with him if he uses $400 million to build him (God) a cathedral instead of using that amount for projects that would otherwise have positive effects on the Ghanaian society.
He questioned the rationale behind the prioritization of the construction of a national cathedral over crucial educational and infrastructural needs in Ghana.
According to the 2024 Flag bearer of the opposition NDC, even God would not prioritize a cathedral over investments in education.
Former President Mahama responded to inquiries about his stance on completing the national cathedral if elected president during a special public lecture dubbed “Interaction with students and faculty of WIUC-Ghana which took place at the Accra campus of Wisconsin University, clarified that the commitment to build the national cathedral stemmed from a personal promise made by President Akufo-Addo to God, rather than a divine directive.
He argued that if given the opportunity to allocate $400 million, investing in textbooks for students or upgrading vital infrastructure such as the single road from Accra to Cape Coast to a dual carriageway would likely yield greater benefits for the nation.
“For me, the national cathedral was a covenant somebody made with God, an individual. He said he swore to God that if he became president, he would build a cathedral for him. From my perspective, it is his promise to build a house for God.
I am sure that if he really had asked God what he wanted him to do with $400 million; I don’t think God would have chosen a cathedral when $400 million could have provided textbooks for all our students. I don’t think God would have asked you for a cathedral when we could have used the money to dualise the road from Accra to Cape Coast. People die every day on that road because it’s a single road.
So, God didn’t ask for it, somebody promised it to God, it was a personal promise and if I have $400 million God will be angry with me if I use it to build that cathedral. I am not going to take taxpayers’ money or borrow $400 million from any source to build this cathedral,” he said
Mr. Mahama said he would rather use such funds to address pressing educational and infrastructural challenges before embarking on projects like the national cathedral.
