Andrews Egyapa Mercer, Minister-Designate for Tourism, Arts and Culture has said he will request budget approval from Parliament for completion of the National Cathedral if he assumes office.
The former Deputy Energy Minister said this during his vetting on Tuesday, March 5.
“It is our national asset in that state and it has to be completed in my mind. And so if you want a definitive answer that if I have the opportunity to request Parliament to consider and approve a budget for the completion of the national cathedral then yes,” he told the vetting committee.
Egyapa Mercer noted that funds for the project have ceased flowing and emphasised the need for Parliament to ensure funds are available for the completion of the project.
“Unfortunately, I do not know the details of the financing positions of today. But it’s obvious, I believe to all of us that the private contributions that were expected weren’t as forthcoming. I recall that in the 2023 budget, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta requested some public funds to enable us to move the project to its conclusion, which was resisted by the House.
“But I will entreat [Parliament] to support the project because obviously some funding has gone in there. We cannot allow it to sit the way it’s sitting. And so, if I’m given the nod, I believe that if I have an opportunity to make a presentation to you [parliament]. I will urge the support of all, especially our colleagues on the minority side to support the completion of the project,” he added.
The construction of the national cathedral has stalled following government’s inability to secure funds for the project.
Initially slated for completion in March 2024, the project has come with many controversies leading to the resignation of some clergymen on the National Cathedral Board of Trustees.
The Founder and General Overseer of United Denominations of Action Chapel Churches Worldwide, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, and President of the Eastwood Anaba Ministries, Rev. Eastwood Anaba, resigned from the Board of Trustees overseeing the construction of the National Cathedral in Ghana on October 12.
The founder and leader of the Lighthouse Chapel International, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, also resigned from the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral project in August 2022.