Let’s maintain our reputation — Vice-President
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on Ghanaians to jealously guard the country’s reputation as a haven of peace and religious tolerance.
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He said unlike most countries in West Africa and parts of the world, Christians and Muslims had been coexisting peacefully among themselves over the years.
The Vice-President, therefore, asked Ghanaians to maintain the peace and to continue with that reputation.
Inauguration
Vice-President Bawumia made the appeal in Kumasi last Friday when he joined the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, to inaugurate the newly renovated Kumasi Central Mosque.
They were also joined by a host of other dignitaries including the Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama and Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye; a Deputy Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ama Pomah Boateng, who is also the MP for Juaben; the MP for Effiduase Asokore, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, and the MPs for Manhyia South and North, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Akwasi Konadu.
The occasion was also used for the national Islamic prayers for Ghana’s Independence Day celebration.
Self-doubt
Dr Bawumia commended the architect of the project, Kabiru Idris, for coming up with a design that depicted the iconic nature of the mosque.
He said during the renovation works, there were claims that the project was being sponsored by Saudi Arabia because people doubted that such a project could be designed and sponsored by a Ghanaian.
The Vice-President asked Ghanaians to trust in the ability of their fellow Ghanaians, saying not everything should be imported.
Appreciation
Dr Bawumia, who solely sponsored the renovation of the mosque, was grateful to the architect who was also the contractor of the project, for executing the job to perfection free of charge.
He also extended gratitude to the Asantehene for waiving the lease of GH¢28 million on the land to the Muslim community.
After the inauguration, the Asantehene entrusted the edifice into the care of the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam to ensure that the building was well-maintained and that they should not run back to the Vice-President for resources for its renovation.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said the managers of the mosque should maintain the place well so that it did not lose its lustre and beauty.
History
Giving a little history of the mosque, the Asantehene said it was around 1954 when the then Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II, saw some Muslims praying in the streets around Roman Hill and decided to give them a place for worship.
He said Otumfuo Agyeman Prempeh invited the then regional chief Iman over to his palace and allocated the current Asawase market to the Muslim community to put up a decent place of worship.
However, Otumfuo Osei Tutu said, the city engineers informed the Asantehene that the place had been earmarked for a market and suggested the current place as an alternative.
According to him, the mosque did not belong to the Muslim community alone but also to Asanteman and urged them to take good care of it.
Otumfuo also praised the Vice-President for giving Asanteman a fitting place of worship for the Muslim community.
The Mosque
Vice-President Bawumia on October 14, 2020 cut the sod for renovation works to start on the new mosque.
The new mosque can now accommodate 7,000 worshippers from the initial 3,000 and has a fully furnished conference with accommodation for visitors.