The National Cathedral Secretariat has dismissed allegations of corruption and crime in the project’s development.
According to Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, Executive Director of the National Cathedral Secretariat, there is no proof of crime or corruption in the cathedral project.
The public has been harshly critical of the cathedral’s construction, with some claiming that the government has not been honest in disclosing the monies given for the facility’s development.
Dr. Opoku-Mensah told the media that all expenses linked to the cathedral’s construction had been submitted to Parliament.
“The idea that a project of this nature would not want to be accountable, I cannot understand it, I cannot fathom it. This audit notwithstanding, I want to state categorically that there’s no criminality. We have implemented the project with integrity, including accounting for all the funds from the state to the National Cathedral Project.”
“We have repeated this, and we will repeat it again; there’s no criminality in the National Cathedral Project. We have accounted for every penny that we have been given by the state and donors. This accounting is submitted to Parliament; sometimes it’s being misused, but we have submitted everything to Parliament.”
Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah also stated that, despite a brief building halt, the National Cathedral project is still on track.
He noted that attempts are presently ongoing to obtain historical artefacts for the cathedral’s museum and grounds.
“There have been issues that the project has been suspended, but it hasn’t. Construction has stalled, but the National Cathedral is almost an institution; it’s going to be one of the largest institutions, so the work continues on a daily basis. In addition to funding, we are already engaging with those who can provide us with artefacts. Because if you want to turn it into a world-class site, you need historical artefacts,” the Executive Director of the National Cathedral Secretariat assured.
Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Founder and General Overseer of United Denominations of Action Chapel Churches Worldwide, and Rev. Eastwood Anaba, President of Eastwood Anaba Ministries, resigned from the Board of Trustees overseeing the construction of Ghana’s National Cathedral on October 12.
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, the creator and head of the Lighthouse Chapel International, also resigned from the National Cathedral project’s Board of Trustees in August 2022.
The National Cathedral, a project started to serve as a national place of worship and a symbol of togetherness and pride for Ghanaians, has been the topic of discussion and controversy from its conception.
