Professor Ransford Gyampo, a lecturer in political science at the University of Ghana, has proposed a very unconventional way of raising funds to reclaim some of the land that was used as the foundation for the National Cathedral.
Speaking at a panel discussion on TV3, Professor Gyampo argued that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo must bear personal losses for his role in the construction of the National Cathedral.
Professor Gyampo believes that to reclaim the land, the state should freeze President Akufo-Addo’s voluntary donations and use the proceeds for reclamation.
Although Gyampo questions the legality of his proposal, he believes President Akufo-Addo should be held responsible for the amount spent so far on the National Cathedral. And he and his cabinet members involved in the allocation of state funds for the National Cathedral project should be prosecuted for financial loss to the state.
“Someone needs to be sued over the construction of the National Cathedral. Someone needs to sue for the economic damages inflicted on the nation. President Akufo-Addo must face the consequences. So if we can freeze his retirement benefits and use them to pay for the cathedral, let’s do so. If that’s not enough, we will sue him and his representatives,” he said.
Construction of the National Cathedral, which President Akufo-Addo described as a “priority of priorities,” has been stalled due to a lack of funds.
According to the Executive Secretary of the National Cathedral Board, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, the country needs a whopping $250 million to complete the cathedral.
“If we can raise $200 million to $250 million, the National Cathedral will be completed. Let’s see what benefits the cathedral will bring to Ghana and what economic benefits it will bring to us as a nation. God has blessed us, so we must be united and thank God.”
“The Washington Museum cost $600 million to build, but when the cathedral is completed, Ghana will have an African Museum of the Bible, although it will be more expensive in terms of space, content, and technology, which will be called the American Museum and cost $600 million.
“The total cost of our cathedral, Bible museum, and Bible gardens is only about $300 million, but our museum is bigger than the American Museum of the Bible, which costs $600 million. If you look closely at the data, you will see that $300 million is a lot of money, but compared to $600 million, we have done well.”
