Veteran Ghanaian broadcaster Kwasi Kyei Darkwa, popularly known as KKD, has scoffed at the government's National Cathedral project that has received divided opinions from the public.A disgruntled Kwasi Kyei Darkwa belittled the facility situated within 9 acres of newly landscaped gardens adjacent to Osu Cemetery (which is located at North Ridge), describing it as a dam.

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In his interaction with JoyNews’ Benjamin Akakpo on Monday, he passionately exclaimed “Now look where we are. Look what monies we've spent on the dam at Ridge and we've gotten 600 million (dollars).The National Cathedral project which currently has crater-like features due to the suspension of work over lack of funds, is to provide a 5,000 permanent seat auditorium which expands to 15,000 seats on a 9-acres portion of land.

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Recent pictures online show the portions of the piece of land being occupied by water.According to research, the size of a standard dam can vary significantly based on its purpose, location, and design. Considering the land area required for the project, large dams are the closest in comparison.

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 Large dams are characterized by substantial engineering structures, often exceeding a height of 100 meters, and a reservoir capacity that typically ranges from hundreds of millions to billions of cubic meters. An acre is equivalent to 4,046.86 square meters but since acre is a unit of area and cubic meters is a unit of volume, there is no direct conversion between the two.

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This is not the first time the national cathedral project has been ridiculed. An aide to former president John Dramani Mahama, Stan Dogbe on February 4, 2023, described the project as “the most expensive ‘hole’ ever dug in the world.”“It cost Ghana a whopping GHC 399 million to dig this hole only- for a cathedral that no one knows how much it will finally cost us,” he tweeted.

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As of January 2023, the government had spent GH₵339.003.064.86 on the National Cathedral project according to the  Executive Director of the National Cathedral Secretariat, Dr Paul Opoku Mensah.The amount includes a total of GH₵113 million paid to the Consultant, Sir David Adjaye and GH₵225 million paid directly to the Secretariat for the construction of the project.

spent on the

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national cathedral - a state-owned project have been procured from the Contingency Vault, per information from Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.While venting his spleen on-air, Kwasi Kyei Darkwa suggested that due to government's lack of financial prudence, it failed to generate the funds needed for the cathedral from local investors.

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“Isn't that money Jospong Group can give you? Accra Friendship Club which I am a member of, or East Legon Executive Club which I am a member of and many of my friends are members - must be able to raise that money for you if they believe that you will use the money prudently,” he said.“I have lost fate in this administration,” KKD concluded.

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Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has indicated that the National Cathedral project will cost over GH¢1. He said this comprises “the cost of compensations, demolition, tax waivers, consultancy, coupled with other stuff needed.”

The Independent Ghana

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