I saw a divided country in the debates around the proposed national cathedral. The correct role of the state in such endeavours is one of the developing challenges and concerns that interests me the most since the answer to that question will have a significant impact on the future.
When It All Started
Where did we come from? Two of the President's remarks are crucial to my reflection. First, he stated: "I have, this morning, cut the sod for the initiation of the building of a national cathedral of interdenominational worship in our capital, Accra," during his speech commemorating Ghana's 60th anniversary of independence.
Second, he stated: "The building of the national cathedral is to serve as a gesture of thanksgiving to God for his blessings, favour, grace, and mercies on our nation, and to give me an opportunity to redeem a pledge I made to Him before I became President." This was at the beginning of the National Cathedral Fundraising Campaign in 2018.
Issues with Church-State entanglement were brought up by the dual purpose. Of course, Christianity predominates throughout the nation. Additionally, I have frequently maintained that our politics constantly have a religious undertone. To witness this in full effect, one just has to pay attention to our political campaigns, official state events, etc. However, the State is intended to be secular.
I really believe that part of the public feelings were moderated by the perception that the project would be privately funded, with the State's role being confined to the donation of land. While the debate around the President's announcement was heated in the early days.
Please refer to Point 87 in the Attorney General's filing in the James Kwabena Bomfeh Jr. v. Attorney General case, titled "Legal Arguments of Defendant Pursuant to Order of Court Dated November 6, 2018". First filed in March 2017, the complaint was modified in November 2018.
Important Moments
The state is assisting this process by giving the land, the Secretariat, and seed money for the preparation phase, the finance minister said on November 15, 2018, as he delivered the 2019 budget statement and economic strategy to Parliament. For me, this declaration marked the beginning of the State's enlargement of its role. I didn't hear or see a particular sum mentioned during the finance minister's presentation of that year's budget, and subsequent budget announcements didn't either. Only three years later, after a Ministry of Finance note was made public, did the precise sum of seed money come to light.
Given the present situation of the economy, many were shocked and appalled by the sum listed in this memo. Since then, I've noticed that the public dialogue has deepened and gotten even more polarising.
The public continues to get access to information. In order to settle the escalating contentious disputes, the National Cathedral Secretariat was forced to produce a seven-page press statement in response to some of the concerns. In light of this, I am adamant that the State and those who support it are still responsible for addressing the contentious new issues, particularly those that have to do with governance.