Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed that there is no information on the controversial National Cathedral at the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) despite claims that it is a public project.
According to him, all projects, whether public or public-private partnerships, should go through the procurement laws. However, he insists that was not the case in the cathedral.
“This is another layer in this scandal. The Public Procurement Authority in response to our RTI request is stating unambiguously and very clearly that they have absolutely no records whatsoever on the construction of the national cathedral.
“If you read the Public Procurement Acta (PPA) Act 2003 Act 663, Section 14 1(a) it is very clear that whether is being funded in part or in a whole that is whether partially or wholly with public funds, that project is subject to the procurement laws of Ghana,” Mr. Ablakwa said.
“In his first official announcement on the project on March 6, 2017, the President underscored the nature of the project as a national cathedral for interdenominational worship services for the nation. subsequent elaborations led to three main reasons as the rationale for the project, namely i) gesture of thanksgiving ii) symbol of the Christian presence and contributions to the nation, and iii) a personal pledge to God. For these three reasons, the personal pledge came to be associated with the Cathedral as a “private” project that needed to be developed without state support.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the National Cathedral is a National Monument, and thus public, not private, a project part of the statement read.
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 fulfillment 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 a number of 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 5 March 2020, President Akufo-Addo laid the foundation stone for the commencement of the construction.
The President assured 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.