Vincent Ekow Assafuah is the Old Tafo MP
The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has launched a scathing attack on certain members of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees who resigned.
Speaking as a panelist on UTV on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Assafuah strongly criticised the decision of some clergy members to resign from the board and oppose the construction of the National Cathedral, especially since, in his view, the project was primarily intended to benefit Christians.
According to the lawmaker, those individuals should be ashamed of themselves for their decision and for vehemently criticising the former government.
He pointed out that they are now silent on the controversy surrounding the funding of the Hajj Village project under the incumbent NDC government.
“If you are a pastor and you speak against the cathedral, I am sad for you for doing that…The Board of Trustees who resigned must be ashamed of themselves.
Why are they quiet today when state resources are being used to build a Hajj Village?” he questioned.
Assafuah, who is also a legal practitioner, further criticised the reasons behind the resignation of some pastors from the National Cathedral board.
He argued that their decision to exit after learning that the project was being funded with state funds—rather than private donations, as they were initially led to believe—demonstrates hypocrisy.
He noted that these same pastors remain silent on the Hajj Village project, which appears to have similar funding issues.
“They resigned because they were told the project would be developed with private funds, but that wasn’t the case, as the government used state funds. Whether private or state funds, why speak against the Cathedral but stay silent on the Hajj Village? Let the principles be consistent,” he continued.
Assafuah drew parallels between the Christian and Muslim communities, pointing out that no Muslim cleric or imam has spoken against the Hajj Village.
In contrast, he noted that Christians, specifically the Christian Council, had strongly opposed the National Cathedral’s construction.
He added that the same individuals are now silent on the controversy surrounding the Hajj Village, calling it an example of double standards.
“I believe we must have a National Cathedral, and I won’t run away from that fact. I feel very sad for every Christian or pastor who spoke against the National Cathedral.
“You will not see any Muslim cleric or imam speaking against the Hajj Village, but we had the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Christian Council speaking against the Cathedral,” he concluded.
It would be recalled that several clergymen resigned from the National Cathedral project after it became embroiled in multiple corruption scandals in 2023.
Among them was Dr. Mensah Otabil, founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) and a member of the Board of Trustees, who walked away from the project.
The immediate past Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Professor Cephas Omenyo, also resigned from the Board due to ill health.
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, founder and presiding bishop of the United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches, stepped down as a Board member, citing concerns about being omitted from the registration process despite his image being used on the project’s website.
Additionally, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of Action Chapel International (ACI) Ministry, and Eastwood Anaba, President of Eastwood Anaba Ministries, both resigned as Board of Trustee members.
MAG/WIL
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