The Minority in Parliament insists that the National Cathedral be completed despite the previous government’s inability to complete the project, saying the facility remains an important national asset.

He argues that, while the mention of the Cathedral mostly brings to mind a place of prayer, it is imperative to consider the essence of the project beyond ‘church’ and ‘prayer’.

Speaking at a meeting with the Christian Council, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stressed that the project has economic prospects to accrue revenue for the country with its potential to promote tourism, strengthen Ghana’s international image and serve as a unifying landmark for the country.

“This National Cathedral, we need it as a nation. It shouldn’t be too simplistic to think that a cathedral is just for prayer. It is also for tourism,” he said.

Drawing a comparison, Mr Afenyo-Markin referred to an old mosque in Türkiye that, according to him, draws about 4,000 visitors every day because of its historical and architectural value.

He maintained that a completed National Cathedral could benefit all Ghanaians, become a significant tourist attraction and provide a common rallying point for the nation.

“So if we have the cathedral, it’s not only for the Christian community; it is for the entire nation. It is tourism potential, it is image and the image of the country, it becomes a rallying point for us as a country,” he said.

The Effutu Member of Parliament accused the incumbent government of being inconsistent in its commitment to resuming work on the project, as well as sending the wrong signals to the public about what exactly it intends to do with the project.

“The government is showing inconsistency. It says one thing today, it says another tomorrow. We don’t know what they want to use the site for. There’s no clarity as to what they want to use the site for,” he stated.

He urged stakeholders to engage in wider consultations to decide the next steps for the National Cathedral.

Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana were given about a 6-week ultimatum by the government in mid-September to formally hand over the project site to the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga.

The directive was contained in a letter addressed to the Chairman and members of the Board of Trustees, chaired by Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah, dated September 18 and signed by the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, acting on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, with copies sent to key government offices.

The Ministry said the handing over of the site to government would allow it to determine the future of the National Cathedral project.

The Board has been directed to liaise with the project consultant to complete the handover process by the October 31 deadline.

Auditing of the project

Earlier this year, President John Dramani Mahama tasked the audit firm Deloitte Touche with conducting an independent audit of the National Cathedral project.

The report, which covered activities from December 2021 to December 2023, accused the Secretariat of procurement breaches, unsupported expenditures, and governance lapses.

During a press briefing on Friday, July 18, Felix Kwakye Ofosu disclosed that the Secretariat spent 18,500 Ghana cedis on the expenses of one Kharis Psalmist; however, it failed to document the full cost rendered in its records.

"A key example involves academic payment for Mr Kharis Psalmist, who was lodged at the Mövenpick Hotel from 16th to 28th February 2022 at 18,500 Ghana cedis.

However, only 4,976.00 Ghana Cedis was recorded in the books, with no documentation accounting for the remaining 13,524.00 Ghana Cedis, which was reportedly a refund issued by the hotel but not traceable in the financial records," he stated.

As a result, the Attorney-General (AG) was instructed by President John Dramani Mahama to ensure all legal processes are initiated for the revocation of the board's mandate.

“The National Cathedral Ghana was registered as a company limited by guarantee. In view of that, the Attorney General has been directed to take legal steps… and we expect that to be done in the coming days.”