President John Mahama has pledged to initiate an audit and investigation into the infamous National Cathedral project as directed by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Speaking at the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Service in Accra on Sunday, the president said CHRAJ’s decision was binding and he intended to pursue the directive to the latter.
“The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice directed government to audit the project and investigate any misuse of public funds. Government is enjoined to follow this directive and we will soon activate such an investigation into the project,” he assured at the late afternoon event.
Leaving the door open for the continuation of the controversial project, President Mahama said it was important for a consensus to be reached among the nation’s Christian community on “how to achieve such a project without recourse to public funds”.
He said it was important that valuation of the National Cathedral be reviewed given the country’s current economic difficulties.
“This project must be achieved at a reasonable cost. In the current circumstances that Ghana is going through, it makes no sense to achieve such a project at a whooping sum of $400million,” he told the gathering of worshippers.
Emphasing the overestimation of the project, he explained that a similar multi-faith worship building in Nigeria had cost far less to build than the National Cathedral which was nowhere near complete.
“I am informed that the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja which is used by all Christian faith in Nigeria was built at a cost of $30million,” he stated. “I believe that we can reach a more reasonable figure for building such a project and together we can raise the funding for it.
The National Cathedral project has been riddled with several controversies since former President Akufo-Addo pledged to build it to honor God for helping him win the presidency.
“I made a pledge to almighty God that He was gracious enough to grant my party, the NPP, and I victory in the 2016 elections after two unsuccessful attempts, so I will help build a cathedral to his glory and honour,” President Nana Akufo-Addo said at the sod-cutting ceremony in 2020.
Construction has currently halted at the site in Osu.
