The Secretariat responsible for the construction of the National Cathedral over the weekend formally launched the fundraising activity in the northern region to mobilise funds as part of a nationwide ‘Ketewa Biara Nsua’ campaign for the building of the ultramodern edifice.
The Paramount Chief of Sagnarigu, Naa Ambassador Abdulai Yakubu, who was Chairman of the occasion, on behalf of the Overlord of Dagbon, Ya Naa Abukari II, officially unveiled the strategies for contributions in Tamale.
The Sagnari Naa also announced that the Ya Naa was donating an amount of GHS10,000 to support the project construction.
The secretariat is organized similar fundraising activities to get over 1 million people to contribute for the construction of the project which is estimated to cost an amount of $200 million.
Executive Director of the National Cathedral Secretariat, Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah, gave an update on the state of the ongoing project, stating the contractors have moved to the site and the work is progressing steadily.
“And based on the schedule of the contractors, we expect the President to formally commission the National Cathedral on the 6th March, 2024, which is exactly 7 years to the day when he cut the sod to commence work on the national cathedral” he announced.
According to Dr Opoku-Mensah, all architectural designs have been completed and the project is at the stage of construction, mobilization of funds and instituting plans for the running of the cathedral. He noted the national cathedral would offer a cohesive sacred place where religious activities and other important national functions can take place and further observed it is a critical missing link in our nation building.
“This is an opportunity to use this infrastructure to unify our population and build the kind of cohesion that the nation needs to collectively develop – so it’s really a key part of our nation building and an infrastructure we have missed” he emphasized.
Revenue Generation
Dr Opoku-Mensah further argued the national cathedral when completed would be a game changer for the tourism industry of Ghana beyond the religious inspiration and its national cohesive function.
He highlighted the monumental edifice would make Ghana a tourist hub in the near future and based on the conservative estimates of expected tourists in the country, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) is expected to generate a profit of $83 million dollars in five years.
“It is really one of the infrastructure around which we can open up the country through the integration of this museum which is designed by one of the leading architects [Sir David Adjaye] in the world. And you have the Bible Monument developed by the leading developers in the world and some of the people working on it are the ones who worked on the Africa-America museum, Presidential Museum in the US”
“We’re also integrating the role of the diaspora, looking at the way the Bible was used to enslave Africans and how the Africans also used the Bible to fight for their emancipation – we want that story to be told at the Bible Museum of the national cathedral” the Executive Director added.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr. Shani Alhassan Shaibu, for his part urged the general public to contribute generously towards the realization of the vision of building a National Cathedral.
He pointed out that the Church has not limited its activities to the spiritual aspect alone, but has over the years partnered the state in the provision of schools, water and hospitals, among other important social services.
He therefore commended the Churches in Ghana for their unique role and effort in human resource development and provision of social amenities to improve people’s living conditions.
“The great collaboration between the Church and the various religious bodies on one hand, and the State on the other, has been the bedrock of our development and this is what has informed the Government to partner with the Church to build a befitting National Cathedral in Ghana” he added.
The Chief of Sagnarigu, Naa Ambassador Abdulai Yakubu, who chaired the function appealed to Ghanaians to support of the objective of the National Cathedral by contributing generously as it will engender national unity and transformation.
