National Cathedral to Be Commissioned on March 6, 2024?
Ghana’s National Cathedral is to be commissioned for use on March 6, 2024, per official records by the government and the timeline given for its completion.
This data is verifiable from Wikipedia as well. Per the information on Wikipedia, ” The design for the cathedral was unveiled by the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, in March 2018. It is set to be commissioned on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, according to the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta.”
The sad reality is that the construction of the National Cathedral has been halted for many months following controversies of financial indiscipline, bloated project costs, conflict of interest, and corruption levelled against the project.
With less than 24 hours until the commissioning of Ghana’s National Cathedral, the religious edifice is yet to rise above the foundation level.
Between the dream and reality lie the troubles of Ghana, which have negatively affected the National Cathedral dream.
The opposition NDC and the general public have described the project as the most expensive pit in the world. As of January 1st, 2024, the National Cathedral is projected to cost over GH¢1bn.
So far, $450 million (5.7 billion GHC) of taxpayers’ money has been spent on this pit. The homes or houses housing judges, offices, and other high-value properties were destroyed to pave the way for the construction of the National Cathedral.
Imagine for a minute, all the consultants, architects, contractors, and individuals who have chopped our money and are walking freely. Imagine for a minute what $450 million can do for the good people of Ghana.
The National Cathedral project, according to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of parliament for North Tongu, will cost more than GH¢1 billion, rather than the $400 million that the government had originally estimated. With just the pit to be commissioned costing a whopping $450 million, Ghana indirectly must cough up not less than $550 million to complete the edifice.
The anticipated cost of the National Cathedral’s construction, including compensations, demolition, tax exemptions, consultation, and other necessary items, is GH¢1 billion, according to the legislator.
The project has also been described as a misplaced priority. At a time when the Ghanaian economy was struggling, the government deemed it more prudent to sink its hard-earned finances into a project that was not urgent and necessary.
In an interview with Citi News in January 2024, Mr. Ablakwa expressed his dismay over the project’s use of taxpayer funds. Not only did he say that GH₵339,003,064.86 million was stolen from the Consolidated Fund, but he also said that taxes are being spent inappropriately. With all the tax exemptions, compensation, destruction, and contract escalations still to be accounted for, I predict that billions will be spent. Now tell me what’s happening. “The government’s budgeted $400 million is grossly inadequate; the project will actually cost over GH₵1 billion,” the lawmaker stressed.
The reality is that Ghana’s National Cathedral cannot be commissioned on March 6, 2024, because it has yet to reach 20% completion and has been halted for several months.
The possibility of President Nana Addo completing and commissioning Ghana’s National Cathedral during his time as president of the Republic is far out of reach.
Ghanaians are looking forward to the commissioning of the National Cathedral on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, or a bold statement on it and the way forward by President Nana Akufu Addo during his speech as Ghana marks 67 years of independence and nationhood.
It would be suicidal for the president not to mention the national cathedral in his address to the nation on the day it was supposed to be commissioned.
Are we going to have the National Cathedral commissioned on March 6, 2024?
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