The GH$80 million additional financial allocation for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture for the construction of the National Cathedral of Ghana has been rejected by the minority members on the Trade, Industry, and Tourism Committee of Parliament.
The GH$80 million additional budgetary allocation was included in the 2023 Appropriations Bill.
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Committee’s ranking member, claims that officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture failed to persuade them about the allocation and to account for the more than GH300 million they have already spent on the project.
He claimed that Ministry of Finance officials were likewise unable to provide a compelling justification for the allocation.
The Minority MPs who are part of the Committee subsequently requested a vote to resolve the issue during which they won by an 11-10 majority votes.
However, other allocations of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture were approved.
About the National Cathedral
As part of the nation’s 60th anniversary festivities, the National Cathedral of Ghana is an interdenominational Christian cathedral that will be constructed in Accra, the capital city. In March 2018, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo presented the cathedral’s design.
The cathedral will have the necessary chapels, a baptistery, and a 5,000-seat auditorium. A music school, an art gallery, and a Bible museum will also be located on the property.
The cathedral’s architecture incorporates the art and culture of Ghana’s ethnic groups; the concave facade will be ornamented with wood to resemble Ashanti royal stools, and the cathedral’s high pitched, staggered roof is reminiscent of Akan-inspired design.
Source: InsiderGH.com
