Destruction of passport office, Judges residence, others for cathedral below the belt – Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has criticized the government on its decision to demolish the Passport Office at Ridge, the Scholarship Secretariat and bungalows occupied by some Appeals Court Judges, to make way for the construction of a national Cathedral.

The President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, March 6, 2017, cut the sword for the construction of a national cathedral for interdenominational worship in Accra.

Former lands and natural resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, speaking to the media after the sod cutting, stated that the Scholarship Secretariat, Passport Office at Ridge, some nine bungalows occupied by Appeals Court Judges as well as other structures will be demolished to make way for the construction of the 5000 seater National Cathedral.

However, The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, in an interview with Ekourba Gyasi on Atinka AM Drive Monday expressed his disappointment in the NPP government in its quest to build a national Cathedral close to the state house at all cost despite the myriad of criticism meeting the decision.

Kwesi Pratt Jnr explained that the constitution clearly stipulates that Ghana is a religious nation, but at the same time secular in the sense that the same Constitution prohibits the elevation of any religious organization over other religions. According to him most of the buildings around the ridge passport office are new with others still under construction.

“if the need to build a national cathedral is that pressing, can’t we get any land in Accra other than demolishing such expensive buildings like the passport office and the judges’ residence. I still don’t understand the whole issue”, he stated.

Former National Youth Organiser of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr, Popularly Known as "Kabila" is currently at the Supreme Court, seeking to quash the government decision. According to him Government has no business to construct any edifice for a religious sect or organise religious pilgrimage such as the hajj.