A Member of Parliament has lamented on how some Ghanaians are complaining about the investment Government is making into the National Cathedral building.
The National Cathedral has been in the news lately after government allocated some Gh25, 000 000.00 as seed capital for the Cathedral.
Member of Parliament for Sekondi Constituency in the Western Region has defended that the invest is appropriate for the sustainability of the project.
“Should we(government) stop and sink those monies in there for it to go waste? As part of the usual infrastructure sitting uncompleted?” the Member of Parliament quizzed.
This was his rhetoric in defending the provision government had made during a radio interview on Citi FM’s Big Issue.
The MP added: “Recall the 40 year old abandoned maternity block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. 40 years and it litters across the country. Should we say it is because of what we are going through now, all of the investment that has been made in there should stop? I disagree”.
Hon. Andrew Kofi Mercer argued that government is not being insensitive to the current situation in the country as there were economic challenges even at the time the Cathedral was launched.
“The project started in 2017 on the verge of the Independence Day when the President commissioned the Secretariat for the Cathedral. Even at the time there were economic issues, but we were resolving them. Our economy was growing at the time”
“So let it no seen as if to say fuel prices are going up, and we know what is accounting for the fuel prices going up. We know what it is accounted for the sharp decline in our currency which clearly is is 2022. But the process and work (for the Cathedral) had started before these things came up” Mr. Mercer added.
The Deputy Minister for Energy urged that the President is not unconcerned but working in all other sectors as well.
“So let it not be said as if the President is sitting aloof, unconcerned, he is not doing anything and then he is building a cathedral”
The Honourable added: “Agenda 111, Afia-Nkwanta Hospital, Eastern Regional Hospital, road construction are ongoing, schools are being built, ICT infrastructure is being provided. A whole lot of development projects is going on as we speak.”
