The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has inaugurated a thirteen-member Board of Trustees the Interfaith National Cathedral at a ceremony held at the Presidency on Thursday, March 16, 2017.
The board, which is chaired by Most Reverend Samuel Asante Antwi, is charged with “agreeing on the design, supervising the construction and raising the money for the project” and “in completing the task, the Board of Trustees will also be responsible for managing the cathedral”.
The Chairman is assisted by Archbishop Charles Palmer Buckle with Prophet Victor Kusi Boateng serving as Secretary.
Other members of the Board include, Apostle Opoku Onyinah, Rev. Joyce Aryee, Professor Cephas Amenyo, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Offei Akrofi, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Rev. Eastwood Anaba, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, Pastor Mensa Otabil, Rev Dr. Frimpong Manso and former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Prof. Emmanuel Martey.
It will be recalled that the President, on the morning of Monday, March 6, 2017, cut the sod for the construction of a National Cathedral at Ridge in Accra. The donation of land by the state, the President indicated, is to give the project the “required national significance”.
Speaking at the inauguration of the board, the President said “it is appropriate for some formal constitution of men and women who are going to be in charge of the project. The National Cathedral is intended to be an interdenominational worship centre where Christians of all faith will gather and worship”.
He continued, “The major significance of it is that, it will stand as the church where formal State occasions of a religious nature take place, such as inauguration of a President, death of a President, state funerals or state burials. These kinds of activities, which require a certain solemnity and formality, will be the purpose and service that the Cathedral will give”.
Speaking on behalf of the board, Most Reverend Samuel Asante Antwi, accepted what he described as a “great and heavy responsibility” and thanked the President and his team for envisaging such a project as well as offering them the opportunity to serve the country.
He said the project which is the third of its kind in Africa, aside those in Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire, is a major challenge for them and pledge to work tirelessly towards its realization.
