Christian Council pays courtesy call on Mahama Ayariga to strengthen collaboration

The Christian Council of Ghana has paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration between the Christian community and government. The meeting in Accra provided an opportunity for both sides to discuss areas of mutual interest, including sanitation, education, healthcare, religious tolerance and the future of the National Cathedral. The Christian Council expressed its readiness to deepen its partnership with the Ministry in promoting national development, particularly through its Environmental Care and Cleanliness Programme.

The Council said it was prepared to support efforts to improve sanitation and contribute to initiatives aimed at changing public attitudes towards waste management. Discussions also focused on the National Cathedral, with the Council indicating its willingness to mobilise resources from both Ghana and the international Christian community towards the completion of the project. The Council’s General Secretary, Rev.

Dr Cyril Fayose, appealed to government to help create the necessary conditions for the project to progress. In response, Mahama Ayariga said the issues surrounding the National Cathedral required dialogue and consensus among stakeholders. He stressed that government was not opposed to Ghana having a National Cathedral but said the Christian community needed to develop a common position on issues including the location, cost and financing of the project.

The Christian Council of Ghana says it is prepared to mobilise resources locally and internationally to support efforts towards the completion of the National Cathedral. Dr Cyril Fayose, made this known when the leadership of the Christian Council paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, in Accra. Dr Fayose indicated that “the Christian community was prepared to mobilise resources locally and internationally” towards the project, while appealing to government to create the necessary conditions for the National Cathedral project to move forward.

The engagement also provided an opportunity for both sides to discuss broader areas of collaboration, including sanitation, education, healthcare and religious tolerance. The Christian Council expressed its readiness to work with the Ministry through its Environmental Care and Cleanliness Programme to support efforts to improve sanitation across the country. On sanitation, Mahama Ayariga stressed the need for a change in attitudes towards waste management and advocated waste separation at source.

He proposed that households have at least three dustbins to facilitate proper separation of waste. On the National Cathedral, the Minister said the concerns surrounding the project should be addressed “through dialogue and consensus”, particularly on issues relating to its location, cost and financing. He stressed that “the government’s position was not opposed to Ghana having a National Cathedral”, but said stakeholders within the Christian community must develop a common position on the way forward.