Two respected clergymen who are also trustees on the contentious National Cathedral project have demanded that it will be suspended immediately and subjected to an audit.
The two, Reverend Eastwood Anaba and Archbishop Duncan Williams, of Fountain Gate Chapel and Action Chapel International claim that the controversy surrounding the project is the basis for their request.
They claim that the suspension will open the door for the Ghanaian people to receive well deserved accountability they want concerning the project.
In a memo sent to the Board of Trustees, they called for independent audit into the expenditures of the project adding that, the auditors must be a well-known national figure.
“That in the spirit and cause of transparency and accountability to the Ghanaian people, the current Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral shall appoint an independent, nationally recognised accounting firm to audit all public funds contributed to and spent by the National Cathedral.
“Auditors will also audit the overall cost of the project. This appointment of an auditor shall take place before the deferment of activities of the Board of Trustees,” excerpts of the memo said.
Also the two respected men of God indicated the project should not continue until the economic condition in the country is improved.
“That current activities advancing the construction of Ghana’s National Cathedral shall be deferred until the atmospherics in Ghana are improved and the audit of the Cathedral account is done,” excerpts of the memo added.
This comes after Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, founder of the United Denominations originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches who was a member of the Board of Trustees in his resignation said although he believes in the building, it lacks transparency.
“I am unaware and not involved in the cost of making the model of the Cathedral and the many other costs that were initially paid out before the architect was fully engaged. I am unaware and not involved in the payment of the monies paid out to fund the architects’ travels and meetings.
He alleged that, there are unforeseen hands handling and controlling monies of the project but making it sound as if, all decisions are spearheaded by the Board of Trustees.
“I am unaware and not involved in the decision that trustees are said to have taken, to request the government to assist the trustees to take a loan to build the Cathedral, as I was told at our last meeting of 8th August 2022. This purported request for the government to secure a loan for the trustees is disturbing. How is it possible that Trustees would seek a loan for an amount of money when they do not know how the bill was created? I have never participated in any decision to take a loan to build the Cathedral, and I am unaware that we the trustees are said to have asked the Government to help us take a loan to build the Cathedral. In fact, I do not believe that anyone should take a loan to build the National Cathedral. I know the Cathedral can be built without a loan and I would never support the taking of loans or raising of bonds to build this Cathedral. It is unfortunate that huge deals are negotiated with foreign companies for over US$400 million and then ascribed to Trustees when the Trustees had nothing to do with it” portions of his letter that leaked to the media last week reads.
