Minister-designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has pledged to explore ways of mobilising funds for the construction of the National Cathedral if Parliament approves his nomination and the project receives the support of the Christian community and President John Dramani Mahama.
Mr Ayariga made the commitment when he appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
While acknowledging concerns about how the project was handled in the past, he said he supported the idea of establishing a National Cathedral for Ghana’s Christian community.
“I don’t think there is anything wrong with the idea, but I think it was a good idea that was badly implemented,” he said.
Mr Ayariga also expressed concerns about the location chosen for the project.
“I want to assure this House that if I am approved, I will engage the leadership of the Christian Community and if they want to still have it, I will engage with the President and if it is his wish, I will mobilise funds [for] its construction,” he said.
He said Ghana’s deeply religious nature made places of worship an important part of national life, citing the widespread presence of churches, mosques and other religious facilities across the country.
According to him, there was therefore no fundamental problem with the concept of a National Cathedral.
However, he maintained that concerns remained about aspects of the project’s implementation, particularly its location.
Mr Ayariga said any decision on the future of the project should be preceded by consultations with the Christian community and the President before steps are taken to complete it.
Meanwhile, the long-awaited forensic audit report into the National Cathedral project has been completed and submitted to the Attorney-General for review.
Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosed in August that the forensic audit was commissioned after an earlier audit by Deloitte and Touche uncovered financial irregularities but did not establish the full extent of the issues or identify those responsible.
“Deloitte and Touche audited the financial reports of the National Cathedral, which revealed financial irregularities, but it didn’t tell all the issues,” he said.
He explained that the government subsequently commissioned a forensic examination to determine who was responsible for the irregularities and whether the transactions in question were lawful.
