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National Cathedral: Ofori-Atta Must ‘Shut Up’ Now! – Allotey Jacobs
Bernard Allotey Jacobs, a social commentator and former NDC Central Regional Chairman, has harshly upbraided Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, over his comments on the National Cathedral.
As opposition against the construction of the National Cathedral intensifies with critics calling on the President to either halt the project or use his own money to establish it, Ghanaians are however encouraged to support the President’s vision to complete the Cathedral.
National Cathedral Brouhaha
It could be recalled that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, prior to the 2016 elections, informed Ghanaians he had made a vow to God to construct a Cathedral in His honor in exchange for victory in the 2016 elections.
After the President’s prayer was answered, he was expected to fulfill his promise by financing the project himself, little did Ghanaians know their funds would be involved in constructing this religious edifice.
Up until recently when it came to light that the government was channeling part of taxpayers’ monies to build the Cathedral plus the call on all to contribute a quota towards the project, most of the citizenry were under the impression that the Cathedral was a personal pledge.
It is now obvious that the construction is now the collective responsibility of citizens and if the President’s promise will materialize, the taxpayer must accept for his or her money to be used.
Perhaps, it was no surprise that the North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in a social media post on Wednesday, June 8, claimed that so far, ¢200 million “illegal” funds have been pumped into the project.
National Catheral Will Pay Off
The Finance Minister, over the weekend, sought to assuage the fears of Ghanaians about possible wastage of public funds.
According to him, government will ensure the monies pumped into the construction are recouped within the shortest possible time after construction.
“That question being asked is that are we spending money from state coffers? Is that too much to do because we are politicizing it. Do we really want to stop it? That is going to be my question.
“As a Minister of Finance, we are looking at resources and how much we put in there at every point in time that is sensible and so as we speak, we have spent less than one-thousandth of our expenditure on that,” the Minister said on GTV‘s Talking Point.
He added; “I am very confident of raising revenue to be able to fund this and then more importantly if I want to look into the economics of it, I truly see an overwhelming capacity that this will pay off. Typically, I am looking at an internal rate of return, so we should put this in mind.”
Allotey Replies Ken
Discussing the matter during Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” programme, Allotey Jacobs asked Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta to “shut up” on the project.
He believes it will be more prudent if government interacts with the populace on whether or not to halt the construction or carry on with it.
“Government has flip-flopped on the issue of this Cathedral, so it will better for Ken Ofori-Atta to keep his mouth shut and not talk about it. And even should the government decide to suspend this project, they should consult with the people of this country”, he said.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned four career diplomats as ambassador-designates to represent Ghana in four countries.
The commissioning ceremony took place on Friday, October 16, 2026.
The new envoys are Her Excellency Nana Antwiwaa Dodoo, Ambassador-Designate to Angola; His Excellency Louis Kwame Obeng, Ambassador-Designate to Qatar; Her Excellency Evelyn Korantemaa Ofosu-Amable, Ambassador-Designate to Israel; and His Excellency Jedidiah Reuben Adogla, Permanent Representative-Designate to Switzerland.
President Mahama charged them to advance Ghana’s national interests through strategic partnerships, economic diplomacy, investment mobilization, and expanded access to international markets.
He said Ghana’s diplomatic engagements must deliver tangible economic benefits, create jobs, and strengthen the country’s standing on the international stage.
The four envoys are career diplomats with over 27 years of experience.
On behalf of her colleagues, Her Excellency Nana Antwiwaa Dodoo thanked the President for the confidence reposed in them and pledged their commitment to emulate his leadership and deliver on the mandate given to them.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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