Afenyo-Markin indicts Mahama government over National Cathedral

The Minority in Parliament has accused the Mahama administration of a lack of coherence over the National Cathedral, while reaffirming its position that the controversial project is a necessary national undertaking that should be completed. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the National Cathedral should not be viewed solely as a place of Christian worship, arguing that it could also become a major tourism attraction, enhance Ghana’s international image and provide a unifying space for the country. Speaking at an engagement with the Christian Council, Afenyo-Markin said the facility, initiated under former President Nana Akufo-Addo, had the potential to serve the interests of the entire country. “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 said. Afenyo-Markin cited an old mosque in Türkiye which, according to him, attracts about 4,000 visitors daily because of its historical and architectural significance. He argued that a completed National Cathedral could similarly attract tourists while serving as a national rallying point. “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 said. However, the Minority Leader criticised the Mahama government’s handling of the project, accusing the administration of sending conflicting signals about the future of the site. “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 said. He called for broader consultations among stakeholders to determine the way forward for the National Cathedral. Afenyo-Markin also criticised the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), accusing it of creating conditions that could encourage illegal mining. He questioned whether the current regulatory framework adequately distinguishes between legally mined gold and gold produced through galamsey. “The way GoldBod has been structured, it is rather encouraging the illegal mining activities we have in our country,” he said. According to him, GoldBod’s purchasing arrangements could create incentives for illegal mining if gold aggregators were not subject to sufficiently stringent controls. “Currently GoldBod does not have a regulation that draws a distinction between regularly mined gold and galamsey gold. So it is like whatever the aggregators bring, we will buy. But are there some regulations to guide aggregators? Now, everybody is mining. Galamsey has gotten out of hand,” he said. The Minority Leader warned that the continued destruction caused by illegal mining posed a serious threat to Ghana’s forests and water resources, particularly the Atewa Forest. “If we are not careful, Atewa Forest will not be there for us again,” he warned. He also raised concerns about the growing contamination of the country’s water bodies, saying it was increasing the cost of water treatment and affecting the operations of some treatment plants. “I once chaired the Ghana Water Limited Board. The report coming from Ghana Water is that not only is it becoming more expensive to treat the water, but the extent of contamination of our water bodies is such that some treatment plants cannot even function,” he said. Afenyo-Markin’s comments come amid continuing concerns over the environmental and economic consequences of illegal mining, particularly its impact on Ghana’s forests and water resources. He called for stronger regulation of the gold-trading system to ensure that arrangements for purchasing gold did not undermine efforts to combat galamsey.Source: theheraldghana.com
« Previous | Next »