Some NDC MPs visited the premises of the National Cathedral on March 6 to commission unfinished projects.
This was to highlight the government’s failures regarding the controversial project.
MPs from North Tongu province have called on the press to hold the government accountable for the project after the then finance minister failed to complete the cathedral as promised in 2021.
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa described the project as the most expensive pit in the world and said: “We demand full accountability for what happened to $58,141,509.52. We also want to know why the company abandoned this project two years ago due to lack of payment.”
He further added, “Given that owners of demolished properties such as Waterstone Realty are suing the courts for being wronged, we are seeking to replace and compensate owners of some of the demolished properties. “We want a comprehensive report on how much it cost the state to do so and how much is owed.” ”
Mr Ablakwa also called for an immediate termination of the contract, saying the longer the project is suspended, the greater the burden will be on taxpayers.
“We have to pay, this waiver comes at a price. We have to pay for the extra time, we have to pay for the waiting time, we have to pay for the interruption due to the main contractor’s closure and the actual cost of the work. We also have to pay,” he said.
The parliamentarians also demanded, among other things, that “the board of trustees of the national cathedral should be dissolved without delay.” We also demand the immediate closure of the National Cathedral Office. So far, this Secretariat has received her staggering GHS 225,962,500, making it a very expensive Secretariat. ”
The national cathedral project initiated by the government has been the subject of debate and controversy due to its cost and use of national resources.
In July 2021, the then Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, announced that government would commission the ongoing National Cathedral project on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
The minister said Ghana would use this day, which marks its 67th Independence Day, to establish a supra-sectarian sacred space for the nation.
However, since then, little progress has been made on the National Cathedral.
In December 2023, Ofori-Atta proposed a reassessment of the debate on the construction of a national cathedral, highlighting its potential to foster economic growth.
Speaking at the 2023 Ghana Tourism Investment Summit held at the Labadi Beach Hotel, he said the building was a strategic investment to boost the country’s tourism sector.
He explained that the cathedral could become a pilgrimage site for millions of Christians across Africa and attract visitors who spend an average of $3,000 each.
He believed this could bring significant economic benefits to Ghana.
“When you look at things like cathedrals that have more economic benefits than we see…There are about 600 million Christians in Africa, so Ghana is the new Jerusalem and those 600 million people Imagine spending $3,000 and floating around. That’s a whole different reality.”
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Mr Ofori-Atta called for a more constructive approach to the ongoing debate and controversy surrounding the cathedral project.
He suggested that the government carefully consider the cathedral’s potential contribution to Ghana’s economic development.
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