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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
The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Dancehall musician Shatta Wale has issued a strong public statement calling for an end to what he describes as continuous attacks on his brand, following an apology from media commentator Awal Mohammed.
In the statement, Shatta Wale acknowledged the apology but stressed that persistent criticism and what he sees as deliberate attempts to damage his image must stop.
He noted that for many years, he has spoken for the streets, the youth, and people who feel ignored by society, while also promoting Ghana on the global stage and creating jobs through his work.
He expressed concern that some media personalities, commentators, and influential figures continue to target his name unfairly.
According to him, the issue goes beyond music and touches on respect, fairness, and national maturity.
The musician warned that continued disrespect toward voices that represent ordinary people could have wider consequences.
He emphasised that the Shatta Movement remains strong and organized, and that the patience of the masses should not be taken for granted.
He added that if systems continue to fail the people, they have the ability to organize politically through numbers and truth, not violence or hate.
Shatta Wale clarified that his message was not a threat but a reminder of reality, stressing that attacking a symbol that represents millions of people can have social, cultural, and democratic effects.
He called for respect, fairness, and unity, saying the voice of the people will always rise.
The statement comes after Awal Mohammed recently described Shatta Wale fans during a public discussion as junkies.
The comments triggered backlash from fans of the musician, prompting Awal to later issue an apology.
By: Jacob Aggrey
