Work on the National Cathedral has been suspended, and contracts with workers terminated over a lack of funds.
In a letter terminating the contract of workers by contractors, Ribade Company Limited said “lack of payment from the National Cathedral of Ghana” has resulted in the project’s suspension.
“In compliance with such an obligation under the contract, Ribade Company Limited has no option but to issue this letter of notice terminating the agreement between Ribade Company Limited and you as per the provisions of your employment agreement,” parts of a letter communicating the development, stated.
Executive Director of the National Cathedral Secretariat, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, confirmed the development.
“We have the contractors and their staff on site, but the work has been suspended. We are hoping that within the next couple of weeks, as part of our fundraising and other initiatives, we can begin work again,” he revealed.
Speaking at a meeting with the leadership of the Redeem Christian Church of God after donating to the National Cathedral, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah was optimistic that Ghanaians would fund the project to restart work.
“Our ability to complete this work keenly depends on Ghanaians supporting it. I refuse to believe we can’t get a million Ghanaians out of the 21 million Christians to support this. I still have faith in the Ghanaians, and I am confident that we will do this.”
Meanwhile, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, who has been leading a crusade for accountability on the project, has claimed that the National Cathedral Secretariat continued to make withdrawals until Thursday, March 31, “without the contractors returning to the site.”
He said the lead contractors have even removed the project from their website’s list of global projects.
The national cathedral is expected to be the rallying point for the Christian community to convene to worship, pray and promote deep national conversations on the role of faith in building Ghana.
The magnificent cathedral proposed by the government in March 2017 is expected to cash in on the religious tourism industry valued at US$ 18 billion.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo unveiled the design for the cathedral in March 2018.
At the time, he said the construction was in fulfilment of a promise he made to God in the run-up to the December 2016 elections.
The project, which renowned architect David Adjaye designed, was widely criticized and condemned by several Ghanaians who considered it a misplaced priority.
The condemnation deepened when the government demolished the residence of some Supreme Court judges in Accra to pave the way for the construction.
On March 5 2020, President Akufo-Addo laid the foundation stone for the commencement of the construction.
The President assured us that the cathedral would not just be another national monument adorning the skyline of Accra but a place of worship.
The project is estimated at an initial cost of $100million.