Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana for now.
The first and only time that I saw his father was in Achimota School, when, as President of Ghana, His Excellency Edward Akufo-Addo, formerly a Chief Justice of Ghana, attended Achimota School Founders’ Day on March 2nd, 1971.
Subsequently, I used to meet Nana Addo in the courts as a senior practicing lawyer, and later in Members of Parliament (MPs) circles, and in Parliament 2001-2008.
He did not make public his aim that if elected President he would build a National Cathedral for the Lord, but after being sworn in, Nana Addo went all out in determination to build a National Cathedral.
One fundamental characteristic of Almighty God is that He is everywhere at the same time. You cannot box Him or compartmentalise Him in a fixed location, because He is everywhere, reader, everywhere.
The Psalmist says can I run away from the Lord? Even when I go to the vast recesses of the land, even there your hand will stretch forth to pick me. God is everywhere, reader.
BUT, even so, this Everywhere God gave Moses special instructions to build the ARK of the Lord, and a story is told of how when King David was bringing the ARK to Jerusalem, and the Ark SEEMINGLY slipped and was about to fall someone volunteered to stretch his hands to protect the ARK, and Almighty God struck him dead, INSTANTLY.
David became ANGRY and AFRAID at the same time, so he abandoned the idea and sent the ARK to rest in somebody’s house. Then David was told that the emergency caretaker of the ARK was being FABULOUSLY blessed by Almighty God, so David went for the ARK and brought it to Jerusalem.
King David wanted to build a House for the Lord to keep the ARK inside, but God told him no, there is too much blood on your hands. Rather, your son will build a House for me, and the story is told of how after King Solomon had built the Temple, on the opening day, the Holy Spirit took full control of the Temple, so even the High Priests could NOT enter the Temple.
Reader, it is NOT a joke to build a house for the Lord.
Nana Addo has to grapple with three terrible project-stopping obstacles – the first is the location.
There was a strong lobby that Accra is growing, daily. When I first came to Achimota School in 1967, Accra ended just at “Circle”. Korle Bu was outside Accra, and 37 was outside Accra. Today, as I write “Accra” stretches to Nsawam, Aburi, Dodowa, and faraway PRAMPRAM!!! Why not build the Cathedral somewhere OUTSIDE the inner city?
But, after a long wait, a FINAL decision was taken that the project should go ahead at Ridge area, not far from Parliament House, so about two acres of Government buildings housing Judges of the Superior Courts were demolished and the project started.
Then came the second tango: Nana Addo’s greatest competent and a Founding Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Reverend Dr. S. Asante Antwi, the principal driver of the National Cathedral project, suddenly died. I am sure Nana Addo must have wept very bitterly.
Very well! After a while, the Board was reconstituted and a new panel of top characters were put in charge of the project.
And you see, reader, according to history, the QUALITY of every leader; the GREATNESS of any leader, throughout history, from Julius Caesar through Genghis Khan to John F. Kennedy – your success rating depends on your STAFF OFFICERS, the backdoor or bedroom advisors. They are ALWAYS seemingly FACELESS – but they take the hard core decisions.
Ghanaians were shocked to hear that a highly placed trusted staffer on the National Cathedral Board was playing games with Cathedral money so much that two very respected members of the Cathedral Board have openly come out to say that “the project should be suspended.”
Wow!! That is very terrible.
What does Nana Addo do now? Meanwhile, the candle is burning, time is running out. If NPP succeeds Nana Addo in 2024, then the Cathedral dream will come to fruition, but if the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with Okudzeto Ablakwa and others yank us out of Jubilee House, then I am afraid, as my NDC friend Stanley keeps telling me, “we will convert the Cathedral project into a hostel!!
Personally, I support the Cathedral idea. I even wrote a long memo to Rev. Dr. Asante Antwi on how to raise funds to fund the project, but Nana Addo has to improve his terms by reflecting on the following recommendations:
i. First of all, if he wants the Cathedral dream to come to a reality, he must IMMEDIATELY reconstitute the Cathedral Board. I don’t think Pastors, Bishops, and Primates are the best builders. Bring on board results-oriented CONTRACTORS of your administration.
ii. Secondly, and more importantly, exploit ALL avenues and get Parliament to adopt the National Cathedral idea as on Act of Parliament so that in the most unlikely event if NDC should win (God forbid) they will not be able to abrogate the project.
iii. Finally, Nana Addo, I think in 1963, or so, Kwame Nkrumah wanted Accra to become the Headquarters of the OAU, so he BUILT Job 600, currently housing Parliament, from foundation to commissioning within SIX Months!!!
What that means is that if you are dead serious and you get a resurrected Rev. Dr. Asante Antwi to drive the project, then, 18 months from now – NPP will still be in power, we can commission the National Cathedral under your Presidency to chant the TE DEUM for His Glory.
IT CAN BE DONE!!!
Written by Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey
