Ken Ofori-Atta begs Israelis, others to fund National Cathedral

With judges and other state functionaries driven out of expensive state bungalows and the buildings being ripped apart Ridge in Accra, one would have thought the construction of the controversial National Cathedral will start in earnest looking at commitment and cocky attitude President Akufo-Addo, went about the subject.

However, Ghana’s Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has given the clearest indication that his cousin’s government, is not yet ready, as he has called on Israelis and countries that are part of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast Meeting (JPBM) movement, to help build the national cathedral to transform Ghana.

He made the call while addressing Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, about a fortnight ago, during their annual series of prayer breakfast meetings which is aimed at mobilizing the international community of Churches and government leaders “to align themselves in prayer with God’s purpose for Israel and Jerusalem”.

The call come at a time when judges and other state officials have been checked into private properties are paying hundreds of thousands of United States dollars as rent at the expense of the state. Details of the transaction with the real estate owners are not known.

With Ken Ofori-Atta at the event, were Kwabena Darko of the Darko Farms fame and many other Ghanaians, whose names are not immediately available.

“President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has initiated the building of a National Cathedral that takes its inspiration from the Tabernacle, and is aimed at providing the infrastructure to focus the gaze of the Nation and Africa on the Almighty and therefore the peace of Jerusalem! Israel and the Nations of the JPBM should join us to transform Ghana, this first independent African Nation and the first to host a Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast meeting in Africa, to build the National Cathedral as a living monument to mobilize Africa to eternally, look East, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” the minister said.

He said Ghana, which is the first country in Africa to hold the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in September 2018, is hoping to expand the event to become vibrant and a part of the global Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast Movement.

He said Israel has had a good relationship with Ghana since Ghana’s pre-independence period and key results of such early cooperation were the setting up of Ghana’s Air Force, Ghana’s shipping line, “Black Star line” and the opportunity for Ghana’s famed poultry farmer, Rev Kwabena Darko to join Israel agricultural community.

“Part of the 70 years of Israel’s statehood includes a bold policy, initiated by the then Foreign Minister, and later Prime Minister, Golda Meir in the late 1950s, to support the nation building efforts of the newly independent African nations,” he said.

Ken Ofori-Atta said Israel is a shining example of building a state beyond aid as being championed by President Akufo-Addo.

“The President of Ghana, His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has recently made a bold declaration of a “Ghana Beyond Aid”; a vision of an assertive, confident nation that relies on its own resources, especially her people and their spirituality for its transformation and to create prosperity for all. If there is one country that both understands this, and has also demonstrated in 70 years that it is doable, it certainly is Israel.”

While, lauding the organizers of the annual prayer meeting, he said Ghana, was taking a similar decision in “doing God’s will, in Christ, and to put God, like all other faiths, at the center of our nation-building efforts,” by building a national cathedral which will mobilize Africa to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.