Convert National Cathedral into Ga State University- AFRICOM boss

Mr. Abednego Orstin Rawlings, President of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), Ghana, has urged the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, led by His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama and Her Excellency Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman, to convert the controversial National Cathedral project into a Ga State University dedicated to master’s degree programs.

Mr. Rawlings believes this conversion would resolve the ongoing debate surrounding the cathedral and directly benefit Ghana and the African continent.

He emphasized that a non-partisan university would gain widespread acceptance among Ghanaians and bring honor to the Greater Accra House of Chiefs.

He also suggested it would help mend the rift between the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who initiated the cathedral idea, and the NDC, who opposed its initial location.

He asserted that using state funds for the National Cathedral is inappropriate.

Instead, he proposed that the project, if it proceeds as a cathedral, should be financed solely through individual contributions via dedicated accounts in USD, GBP, Euro, and Ghanaian Cedis.

He even suggested that cement and iron rod manufacturers could donate materials for a new cathedral built outside the Greater Accra Region.

Regarding the proposed university, Mr. Rawlings suggested it be named after the Ga State, with 70 percent ownership allocated to the Greater Accra House of Chiefs and the Ga Traditional Council.

He argued that despite the Greater Accra Region belonging to the Ga Traditional Council, the custodians of the land lack a major institution to their name.

“The entire Greater Accra Region belongs to the Ga Traditional Council, but the custodians of the land cannot boast of any major institution, hence the need to honor them with this new project,” he explained.

He further highlighted that “according to research, over half of the Ghanaian population speaks the Ga language, but the Greater Accra House of Chiefs and the Ga Traditional Council have nothing that generates revenue for the good people of the Ga state.”

Mr. Rawlings stressed, “The promised National Cathedral project must be re-designed into a befitting educational facility and named the Ga State University for only Masters degrees in honor of the Greater Accra House of Chiefs and the Ga Traditional Council.”

He drew a parallel between the proposed Ga State University and the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., noting its status as a large public university and the oldest Black university, as well as the District of Columbia’s sole land-grant university.

“So what are the gains from governance to the Greater Accra House of Chiefs or the Ga Traditional Council since independence?” he questioned?

Finally, Mr. Rawlings implored the Town and Country Planning Department to allocate a new site for the National Cathedral project outside the capital, a location where all Ghanaians would feel comfortable contributing to its development.