Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the government of repeatedly changing its position on the National Cathedral project, saying the public has been given no clear indication of what will happen to the site.
He said the lack of a firm decision had created uncertainty over whether the project would continue, be repurposed or be abandoned.
“The government is showing inconsistency. It says one thing today, it says another tomorrow. We don’t know what they want to use the site for. There’s no clarity as to what they want to use the site for,” he stated.
Mr Afenyo-Markin was speaking during an engagement with the Christian Council, where he argued that the National Cathedral remained necessary despite the controversy surrounding its future.
The Effutu MP said the proposed building should not be viewed solely as a place of worship, insisting that it could also contribute to tourism and serve a wider national purpose.
“This National Cathedral, we need it as a nation. It shouldn’t be too simplistic that cathedral is just for prayer. It is also for tourism,” he noted.
To support his argument, Mr Afenyo-Markin referred to an old mosque in Turkiye which, he said, attracts about 4,000 visitors each day because of its historical and architectural importance.
He said the National Cathedral could similarly become a national asset if completed, benefiting the entire country rather than only the Christian community.
“So if we have the cathedral, it’s not only for the Christian community, it is for the entire nation. It is tourism potential, it is image and the image of the country, it becomes a rallying point for us as a country,” he added.
The National Cathedral project was launched as a national monument but has faced years of dispute over its funding, transparency and continued relevance during economic challenges.
The government has not yet stated definitively whether it will proceed with the project, change its purpose or end it.
It has also dissolved the Board of Trustees responsible for the National Cathedral project.
