“We Need the National Cathedral as a Nation” – Afenyo-Markin Defends Project

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has defended the National Cathedral project, arguing that its value extends beyond its religious purpose to tourism and national development.

Speaking at an engagement with the Christian Council, Afenyo-Markin said the facility should not be seen simply as a place of worship, but as a potential national landmark that could attract tourists and serve as a rallying point for Ghanaians.

“This National Cathedral, we need it as a nation. It shouldn’t be too simplistic that a cathedral is just for prayer. It is also for tourism,” he said.

“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.”

His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s directive for the immediate dissolution of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana project.

The directive was communicated in a letter dated September 18, 2026, signed by the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga.

The trustees have been instructed to work with the project consultant to formally hand over the project site to the Ministry by October 31, 2026. The Ministry said the handover would enable the government to determine the project’s future.

Afenyo-Markin, however, criticised the government over what he described as uncertainty about its plans for the site.

“The government is showing inconsistency. It says one thing today, 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. But I believe that this is one matter that we must all sit together and look at, he said.

The dissolution follows discussions between the Ministry and Christian leaders on the project. 

The Christian Council said the engagement also focused on expediting a forensic audit and establishing a technical committee to assess issues including funding and the project’s future direction.