A member of the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) communications team, Ellen Ama Daaku, has hit back at critics of the state support for the construction of the National Cathedral project.
Commenting on the subject matter in the June 20 edition of Metro TV’s “Good Morning Ghana”, Madam Ellen Ama Daaku maintained that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made it clear from the announcement of the project that there was going to be state involvement.
She explained that the president indicated that the state was going to provide support by providing state land which is not the property of the president for the construction of the project.
Madam Ellen Ama Daaku consequently contended that just like the government’s Free Senior High School education policy being run for the benefit of all even though it was the president’s private promise, the Cathedral project must in equal measure be state-supported.
She thus advised whether or not the Cathedral was a private pledge to be discontinued from the conversation surrounding it.
“Apart from that [Free SHS], he also said a lot of things that he wanted to do including the National Cathedral. So you cannot tell me the National Cathedral is a private promise of the president to God. Yes, he said it was but it is a National Cathedral.
“It is for all of us just like Free SHS was a private promise that he made to Ghanaian children and he has fulfilled it. So what is this business with private promises?
“Don’t presidents right from Nkrumah make promises, say what they want to do…or there’s a difference between what the president wants to do as president for you and what he wants to do as president for God? I don’t think [there’s a difference].
“We should put it aside whether it’s a private or [public promise]…were you expecting that the National Cathedral was going to be built with monies from Mr. Akufo-Addo’s pockets? I don’t think so.
“And he explained to us where it was going to come from. He said the state was going to give the land. The state land is not for Akufo-Addo. It’s for Ghana so it’s a National Cathedral and he explained that the other monies are going to come from the Christian community,” Madam Ellen Ama Daaku stated.
The National Cathedral project has come under intense public scrutiny as a result of state funds being used for the project considered President Akufo-Addo’s personal promise to God amidst Accra’s perennial flooding and an economic downturn.
According to North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, nearly GH₵200 million of the taxpayers’ money has so far been blown on the project.
Meanwhile, construction works on the Cathedral site have stalled due to the unavailability of funds.
Source: ghanaweb
