The Communications Director of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has reiterated the government’s dedication to the construction of the national cathedral.
He insists that the project is not misguided and is currently on track.
He made the remark on the back of a symbolic commissioning of the unfinished National Cathedral project by some Minority Members of Parliament, including North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
This act was intended to highlight what they perceived as the government’s failure to complete the project.
The opposition MPs were initially prevented by security personnel from accessing the construction site of the controversial National Cathedral and delivering a statement there.
The cathedral, which was originally scheduled for commissioning on March 6 as stated by former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in the 2021 budget statement, has become a point of criticism. This is particularly true among minority MPs who are unhappy with the project’s expenditure.
Despite being denied entry to the construction site, the Minority MPs negotiated with security personnel to stand at the entrance. Here, they planned to hold a press conference to express their dissatisfaction with the ongoing project and its associated costs.
Their symbolic commissioning of the unfinished National Cathedral emphasized their critique of what they see as the government’s mishandling of the project.
However, in an interview with Selorm Adonoo on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Mr. Ahiagbah stressed the importance of not undermining the project. He emphasized that the key issue was securing more resources to complete the project.
“I think that the cathedral project is a work in progress. I think that for any project of that magnitude to begin you dig a foundation and you build it out. And so, where it is at, it is at the appropriate stage where in time the structure would be put on it.
“So, for me, I don’t see any real challenge. I don’t see any appearance of waste because necessarily you must dig the pit and build on it. So, if people want to capitalize that we are building a pit, we haven’t built it out, what I tell them is that it is just a matter of time and the structure would come out.”
“What I am very resolute and clear in my mind about is the commitment to build this and I believe that that commitment and desire to build a national cathedral for the country I think is a noble one and what we have to do is to continue in this effort and I believe that good people will come and support this project for it to see the light of day.
“This cathedral thing, I think people make it seem to appear as if it is a misplaced project. It is not. What I think is our solution is that let’s get more revenue and more resources and build all of these things that we are looking for. And let’s not in the process underestimate the importance of one thing over the other,” he stated.
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