🔅 The Crater of Controversy: Ghana's $400m National Cathedral
Plus: How Africa's Universities are Rising in Global Rankings, Kenya's Money Woes, And much more... ☕
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ECONOMY
The Crater of Controversy: Ghana's $400m National Cathedral
![Stalled work at the construction site of the Ghana National Cathedral in Accra, Ghana, on November 30, 2022 [Nipah Dennis/ Al Jazeera]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fffe8848a-f238-4395-8859-0c1b8a35a159_770x513.jpeg "Stalled work at the construction site of the Ghana National Cathedral in Accra, Ghana, on November 30, 2022 [Nipah Dennis/ Al Jazeera]")
Ghana’s national cathedral project has stalled since June due to a lack of funds… but that hasn’t stopped people from talking about it.
The cathedral, which President Nana Akufo-Addo vowed to help build to the “glory and honour” of God, has split believers into two major camps: those who want to see it built, and those who see it as a waste of state resources.
How much is it going to cost?
The cost was initially estimated at $100m, but it has now quadrupled due to inflation.
Most of the money so far has come from the national coffers, and Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta had promised it wouldn't “put undue financial burdens on the state”.
However, when the government requested $6.3m to continue the project, parliament blocked it, due to the country’s economic crisis and its debt of $45 billion.
What's the point of it all?
The government argues that the cathedral is a strategic project that will bring economic benefits, creating jobs and accruing more revenue for the state.
The 5,000-seat auditorium would host national events like state funerals and presidential inaugural services, and it would also be home to Africa’s first Bible Museum and Documentation Centre.
But critics accuse the government of milking state coffers in the name of religion.
“We should be building hospitals and schools,” actor and activist Yvonne Nelson says. “People are dying. I don’t think any Ghanaian is complaining about where to worship, but we complain about the health sector.
We complain about schools. For churches, we have many. God looks at the heart, and so let’s get our priorities right.”
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Proverb of the Day
“In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and foolish build dams.”
— Nigerian Proverb.