The Chief Apostle and General Overseer of Freedom Chapel International Mission, Francis Amoako Attah, has urged the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to see to the completion of the controversial National Cathedral project.
He said Dr Bawumia may be destined to carry out the project which has been stalled for years and has generated huge controversy.
Apostle Amoako Attah said this during a meeting with the clergy and the Vice President on Tuesday, June 4, as part of his tour of the Greater Accra Region: “Your Excellency, prophetically speaking, the reason that hole is still there is because God wants you, Your Excellency, to fill it.”
Also read: Figure out how to complete National Cathedral project – Rev. Bawumia speaks to clergy
“It seems so prophetic that once upon a time a temple was built and the president who dedicated it for Christians was a Muslim.”
The Freedom Chapel International Mission apostle called on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) leader to “work with his team to do all he can to bring the church and government together” and, where possible, hand over the project to a private entity for management.
“Give it to the private sector, let them build it, let them raise the money. … It would be an indictment against Christianity and this government to leave this gaping hole in place forever.”
Apostle Amoako Atta also said he was “very happy to find someone to govern the church.”
He added that as long as Ghanaians continue to view politics as dirty, the situation will continue until that perception changes.
Figure out how to complete National Cathedral Project – Pastor Bawumia tells Clergy
Responding, the Vice President called on the clergy to work with the government to find ways to move forward towards the completion of the project.
He stressed the need for churches to come together and work with government to find ways to secure private resources to complete the project.
“The issue of the National Cathedral is a very important issue. I have personally contributed to its construction. I believe it is very important for Ghana.”
“The church needs to come together and meet with the government to discuss the way forward. The church needs to come together and let the government know how best to raise private funds to help complete the national cathedral,” he said on Monday.
Dr Bawumia expressed optimism that solutions could be found through collective efforts, saying, “If we all come together, we will find solutions.”
“I think if we all come together we can solve the problem because we can’t just let it go,” he added.
background
The construction of the cathedral fulfils a promise that President Akufo-Addo reportedly made to God before winning the 2016 elections.
The Cathedral project, with a 5,000-seat auditorium, will leave the country with a graceful national park for all Ghanaians, bring new skills, technologies and jobs to the country and be a beacon to local, regional and international tourists.
In 2021, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, announced that government would commission the ongoing National Cathedral project on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, but that did not happen as work on the project has stalled and millions of dollars have already been spent.
In addition to lack of funds to continue the project, the construction of the project has been embroiled in many controversies, with the National Cathedral Secretariat being accused of misappropriating funds.
The project’s board member, Pastor Kusi Boateng, has been dragged before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and is under investigation for alleged conflicts of interest, including holding multiple identities and other alleged criminal activities.
The petitioner, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, alleged that 2.6 million cedis were transferred from the National Cathedral Secretariat to JNS Talent Centre Limited, owned by Reverend Kushi Boateng alias Kwabena Addo Gyamfi.
Ablakwa said the petition seeks the exercise of the CHRAJ’s powers under Section 218 of the 1992 Constitution to investigate the “abhorrent conflict of interest” surrounding the Rev. Boateng’s position on the National Cathedral’s board of trustees, alleging that he “paid the staggering sum of 2.6 million cedis to his own company without literally doing any work.”
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