Appearang before the Parliament's Appointments Committee on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, he emphasized the significant state investment already committed to the project and underscored the importance of seeing it through to completion.
Addressing criticisms that labeled it the "world's most expensive hole," Mercer argued that such characterizations failed to recognize the broader national significance of the project.
He highlighted the imperative of national unity to ensure the successful realization of the project and cautioned against leaving it unfinished after substantial state expenditure, deeming it counterproductive.
Mercer reiterated the need for efficient utilization of state resources in the Cathedral's construction, emphasizing its potential to positively contribute to the country's development agenda.
He expressed confidence in the allocated substantial funding for the project, dismissing the notion that it was the world's most expensive hole.
Instead, he emphasized its current status as a national asset that must be finalized in his opinion.
"While we may not have unlimited resources, substantial funding has been allocated to the project, and I believe it is imperative for its completion. The notion that it is the world’s most expensive hole is not acceptable. It stands as a national asset in its current state and must be finalized, in my opinion," he noted.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo accompanied by senior members of the Clergy laid the foundation stone for the National Cathedral on March 5, 2020, to start the construction.
A National Cathedral Secretariat has been set up to raise funds from individuals and the private sector for its construction, while work continues apace.