Following their resignations as Board members, Rev. Eastwood Anaba and Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams alleged a lack of transparency and information from the National Cathedral Secretariat.
The National Cathedral Board’s two respected clergymen resigned on Tuesday, citing a lack of information in the project’s management and a failure to conduct an audit into its expenses.
But in response to the accusations, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, the National Cathedral Project’s executive director, made it clear that the claims regarding the audit process are untrue and reaffirmed the project’s dedication to honesty and openness.
He emphasized that the Board had rejected a resolution by Archbishop Duncan-Williams and Rev. Anaba from January 23, 2023 on the grounds of redundancy and excessive politicization of the project in a statement released on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.
“The allegations of lack of information and halting the audit process are unfounded. We have diligently kept all Board members, including Archbishop Duncan-Williams and Rev Anaba, updated on the audit progress through regular meetings and documented reports. The audit, conducted by Deloitte, is well underway, and we are cooperating fully to ensure its completion,” Dr. Opoku-Mensah stated.
“Their resolution, calling for a complete cessation of work until after the 2024 elections, was deemed unnecessary as the audit was already on the agenda. Moreover, linking the project to political motives was not in the best interest of the National Cathedral and its objectives,” he added.
He emphasized the project’s attempts to become politicized and said, “We are aware of efforts to politicize and spread misinformation about the National Cathedral. However, we remain steadfast in our commitment to integrity and transparency. The audit findings, which are being carried out by Deloitte, will be shared with the public, demonstrating the project’s genuine intentions.”
Dr. Opoku-Mensah made it clear that the engagement agreement with Deloitte was signed in March and that everything has gone according to schedule in terms of the audit process.
The public was advised by the Secretariat to exercise patience and was given the assurance that the audit would be conducted with the utmost integrity.
Find a copy of the release below: