A political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has proposed an unconventional method for raising funds to reclaim the land used for the National Cathedral’s foundation.
During a panel discussion on TV3, Professor Gyampo argued that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should face personal losses for his involvement in the National Cathedral’s construction.
Gyampo suggested that the state should freeze President Akufo-Addo’s ex-gratia and use the funds for land reclamation.
Despite questioning the legality of his own proposal, Gyampo insisted that Akufo-Addo should be held accountable for the funds spent on the project.
He added that the President and his ministers involved in allocating state funds for the Cathedral should be sued for causing financial loss to the state.
“Somebody must be sued for the construction of the National Cathedral. Somebody must be sued for causing financial loss to the state. President Akufo-Addo must suffer some consequences, so if possible for us to freeze his gratuity to be used in paying for the covering of the Cathedral, let’s do it. If that is not enough, then we sue him and his appointees,” he said.
The National Cathedral, which President Akufo-Addo deemed a ‘priority among priorities,’ has stalled due to funding issues.
Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng, Executive Secretary of the National Cathedral’s Board of Trustees, stated that $250 million is needed to complete the project.
“If we could raise an amount of $200 million to $250 million, the National Cathedral will be completed. Let’s look at the advantages the Cathedral will bring to Ghana and its financial benefits as a nation. God has blessed us, we need to come together and thank Him.”
“Washington Museum in construction cost $600 million, but after the completion of the Cathedral, Ghana shall have a Bible museum of Africa that will in terms of space, content, and technology be higher than the American Museum that cost them $600 million.
“All costs together, our Cathedral, Biblical Museum, and Biblical Gardens is just around $300 million, and ours is bigger than the American Bible Museum that costs $600 million. If you look in-depth into the data, you realize that although $300 million is money, compared to the $600 million, we’ve done well.”