Plans for the construction of a National Cathedral continues to generate lively debate, and although Government insists it will be funded by the private sector and serve as a multi-purpose national edifice, some have raised concern about its usefulness and cost.
Speaking at the Adabraka Official Town branch of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana on Sunday, August 22, 2021, Bawumia underscored the importance of the Cathedral, and urged all to help build it "for Ghana and for the glory of God."
"As you all know, there are efforts to build a National Cathedral. It is very important that we build the Cathedral. It is a voluntary exercise; anybody who wants to contribute can contribute. I have contributed, and I will contribute some more. So I encourage everybody to think about it and let’s build it. It is not for anybody. It is for Ghana and for the glory of God," he emphasised.
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A voluntary, national contribution for the construction of the Cathedral would further cement Ghana's standing as a religiously diverse country living at peace with itself.
"Ghana is Africa’s second most peaceful country, with adherents of many religions living and working together to build the nation. The construction of the Cathedral would add further to our enviable record of peaceful co-existence," he stated.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, accompanied by senior members of the Clergy, laid the foundation stone for the Cathedral on March 5, 2020, to signal the start of construction. A National Cathedral Secretariat has since been set up to raise funds from individuals and the private sector for its construction, while work continues apace.
The cathedral will house a series of impressive chapels, a baptistery, a 5000-seat two-level auditorium, a grand central hall, music school, choir rehearsal, art gallery, shop, and multi-use spaces. It will also be home to Africa’s first Bible Museum and Documentation Centre, dedicated to Christianity and nation-building in Ghana.
A new ceremonial route and landscape will be linking the Cathedral site to Ghana’s prominent, celebratory landmarks – Independence Square, Osu Cemetery, the State House, and Africa Unity Circle.