Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana have been given about a 6-week ultimatum by the government 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.

The Minister, on behalf of President Mahama, thanked Board members for their commitment to promoting the Christian faith in Ghana.

Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees is also set to be dissolved as directed by President John Dramani Mahama, as indicated by the same document ordering the October handover.

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.”

The report further explained that, contrary to the $58 million claimed by the former NPP government to have been spent on the National Cathedral project, an outstanding $39 million owed to the contractor brings the total cost to $97 million.

But the Executive Director of the National Cathedral Secretariat, Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah, branded the report as false and incomplete.

“While the government press conference referred to audit findings, what was presented was not the actual audit report but rather audit queries that had been responded to in detail. This audit report does not exonerate anyone. However, it confirms that there has been no misuse of state funds. All payments made were supported by contracts and guided by legal and financial protocols,” the memo noted.

About the National CathedralThe National Cathedral, originally proposed under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was envisioned as a monumental Christian worship centre in Ghana.

But the project progressed at a snail's pace, with spiralling costs and the use of public funds in a secular state. According to reports, a total amount of $58 million was spent on the project, deemed to be Ghana’s most expensive.

Over a year ago, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, raised concerns with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), alleging irregularities in the project's construction and the operations of the National Cathedral Secretariat.

After investigating the case for several months, the Commission recommended that the Office of the Auditor-General intervene and conduct a forensic audit to ascertain whether funds allocated for the project were used for their intended purposes.

The Commission highlighted that GHS225.9 million in “seed money” had been spent on activities including site preparation, contractor mobilisation, and consultancy services as of May 31, 2022. CHRAJ's detailed report recommended the potential prosecution of the board of trustees overseeing the National Cathedral project, citing their role in awarding the contract to Ribade Company Limited.

The report highlighted multiple violations of procurement regulations and warned that the failure of those involved to address the issues could tarnish Ghana’s reputation both locally and internationally.

The government, in April this year, dissolved the National Cathedral Secretariat after noting that it would no longer provide funding for the abandoned project.

Meanwhile, the government has revealed its plans to repurpose the stalled National Cathedral project into a National Cultural Convention Centre (NCCC) to become a central hub for Ghana’s creative economy and cultural diplomacy.

Under the new “SH0W24” plan, part of the 24-hour economy for the creative sector, the NCCC will be developed with support from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and host exhibitions, film festivals, trade expos, and major summits.

The project, the government notes, offers a smart solution to infrastructure challenges without clashing with religious or national values.

“At the national level, a bold flagship intervention is proposed: converting the National Cathedral site into the National Cultural Convention Centre (NCCC), in partnership with the AfCFTA Secretariat.

This venue will serve as Africa's premier cultural diplomacy and creative economy forum, hosting international exhibitions, film festivals, trade shows, and summits—filling a critical infrastructure gap without conflicting with national values or faith institutions,” the document stated.