National Cathedral hinged on reopening of borders – Secretariat

The construction of the National Cathedral is dependent on the reopening of Ghana’s borders. This is according to the Executive Director of the National Cathedral, Paul Opoku Mensah. He said the closure of the borders has made it impossible for the importation of materials and
the arrival of human resources needed to execute the project. “It closure of borders has affected the phase that we were all so excited about. The construction phase has almost been put not necessarily on hold but almost like we are waiting.It is dependent on Ghana
and the other countries opening their spaces so we can then begin to mobilise the technical people for the construction.” The country’s borders were shut as part of measures to stop the spread of COVID -19 in Ghana. Dr. Opoku-Mensah said the restrictions have also
helped his outfit to complete technicalities related to the Cathedral. President Akufo-Addo has been criticized for his decision to build a National Cathedral in the face of numerous challenges facing the country.
Some persons went to court to challenge the government’s decision to champion the project. President Akufo-Addo had earlier said the construction of the cathedral was a fulfilment of a promise he made to God in the run-up to the 2016 election.The interdeno
minational Christian Cathedral, when completed, will have a 5,000 seating capacity with chapels, a baptistery, a music school, an art gallery and a Bible museum.The monument is expected to be put up within the next five years.The construction of the Cathedral was expected to begin in April 2020.