Construction of National Cathedral to resume soon – Board
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Cathedral, Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah, has revealed that construction is set to resume soon.
In a statement, Apostle Onyinah said this comes after a meeting was held on September 20, 2024, between the board and auditors from Deloitte.
The auditors briefed church leaders on the statutory audit report, which covers the financial activities of the project up to December 31, 2020.
The Board Chairman said that the audit report is now ready, making way for construction to resume.
The board initiated the audit following public concerns over alleged corruption and questionable spending related to the cathedral’s construction.
“The need for an audit was a key demand by the church leadership and Ghanaians in general to establish the credibility of the implementation of the project. With the completion of this first report, preparations are underway for construction to resume.
“We appreciate your support so far, and trust that the completion of the ongoing audit will renew your prayer and financial support for the NCG project,” the statement read.
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The National Cathedral project, which commenced in 2020, has been shrouded in controversy from the onset.
Its construction has sparked debates across various sectors of society, with arguments ranging from the necessity and timing of such a structure to the transparency and management of the funds allocated for its development.
Ghana’s taxpayers have spent millions of cedis on the project, which, as of June 2024, has not progressed as the government had hoped.
An estimated $450 million is needed to complete the project, and it is not clear if that amount is yet available for construction.
By mid-2022, various church denominations had contributed GH¢2.21 million ($164,000) towards the construction of the national cathedral.
This is a large sum but not sufficient on its own to pay the remaining construction costs.
Below is the full statement