The National Mosque At Kanda In Accra
The multi-million dollar National Mosque project at Kanda in Accra has stalled because of the excessive duties that have to be paid to clear building materials imported from Turkey at the port.
A member of the technical committee overseeing the project, who craved anonymity said “we are unable to make the much-needed progress because the money being provided by charitable organizations in Turkey for the project is being used to pay for duties on imported stuff from that country.”
The construction of the impressive mosque at Kanda demands specialized skills and materials, which originate from Turkey, a country that prides itself as one of the best in Islamic architecture.
Many residents of Accra have often posed questions as to when the mosque project would be completed owing to the external progress made so far.
There are still critical works to be made within the interior segments of the project, materials for which are not immediately available because of the aforementioned factor.
“The much-needed waiver we have craved for to enable us to clear imported stuff from the port has not been given to us and this has affected the project completion date,” our anonymous source said.
In spite of the uncompleted state of the project, some elements within the Muslim community have sought to have it commissioned just so their political favourites would be associated with the project in the twilight of their tenure in government.
Some politicians have sought to throw dust into the eyes of vulnerable voters by telling them that the project is being funded by government, a claim which is false.
The project is being funded by some Turkish organizations which came on board at a time when the Saudis abandoned their initial pledge to sponsor the construction of the Islamic architectural piece.
For those who have visited Turkey before, the National Mosque at Kanda is but a replica of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and others sharing similar features.
Even before its completion, it has joined some of the iconic features of Accra’s skylines.
Passengers onboard aircraft taking off from the Kotoka International Airport as they head for the Atlantic Ocean to take their bearing would surely see the minarets of the magnificent structure, as they jut into the skyline of the nation’s capital.
By A.R. Gomda