Former Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) Victor Smith has waded into the controversy surrounding the building of a national cathedral saying the Achimota Forest will be the best place to construct the house of worship and prayer.

According to him, building the edifice at the Achimota Forest which is already a prayer grounds for several Christians will be most suitable and will settle the debate on where to site the cathedral.

The Akufo Addo led administration has sparked controversy and has come under a barrage of public criticism over the decision to build a national cathedral for the Christian faith at Ridge, one of the most expensive areas to reside in the country.

The criticisms has intensified after it emerged that several buildings including the Scholarship Secretariat, Passport Office at Ridge and nine bungalows occupied by Appeals Court Judges are to be demolished as government is set to begin the construction of the House of Prayer.

Scores of other structures within that enclave including the Judicial Training School are also expected to be pulled down to make way for the 5000 seater state of the art cathedral which will also include a Bible Museum and a Documentation Centre.



Occupants of some of the residential facilities have begun packing out their belongings as they’ve been served with notices to vacate the place even as the Supreme Court hears the CPP’s James Kwabena Bomfeh’s application to halt the process.

Idol worshipers also joined the fray with renowned

Fetish Priest, Nana Kwaku Bonsam making a passionate appeal to President Akufo Addo to gift them a land at the “Asomdwee Park” where late President Atta Mills was buried, to build a National Shrine.

Speaking on Happy FM, Ambassador Victor Smith said he was in support of the construction of the cathedral but certainly not at Ridge.



“Achimota Forest will be very suitable for the National Cathedral because already lots of people go the to pray. That’s government land, that area has a big space and will have a huge car park should the cathedral be built there. Situating the Cathedral at Ridge will be a very bad move, already that area is congested, we have the Parliament House, Conference Centre, Osu Cemetery and several other facilities crowding the area.



“Achimota forest is not too far, big land, put the cathedral there and generate revenue. It will be a nice place for visitors from abroad but it has to be other resources used in constructing it not state resources because already the country is saddled with debt.”