President John Dramani Mahama has ordered the immediate dissolution of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana and the formal closure of its Secretariat, following what government officials have described as “damning” revelations in an audit report by Deloitte and Touche.
During a press conference at the Jubilee House on Friday, July 18, Minister for Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, stated that the decision came in response to serious concerns raised by the audit. The report uncovered financial irregularities, procurement breaches, and unsupported expenditures related to the controversial project. “These audit findings undermine the very foundation of the project and the work of the Secretariat, raising serious questions about the use of public funds,” Mr. Kwakye Ofosu declared.
He mentioned that the National Cathedral Secretariat, which previously operated from the Presidency, was officially dissolved on May 1, 2025. Additionally, legal processes have been initiated to dissolve the project, which was registered as a company limited by guarantee. “In light of this, the Attorney-General has been directed to take legal steps, and we expect that to be addressed in the coming days,” he added.
President Mahama has also instructed the Auditor-General to conduct a forensic audit of the broader operations of the Secretariat and the project, noting that the Deloitte audit did not cover the entire scope. “After the forensic audit, decisive action will be taken regarding any identified impropriety and the future of the project itself,” Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said.
The project, originally envisioned as a religious and cultural edifice to boost faith-based tourism, was to feature a Bible Museum, Biblical Garden, banquet hall, 350-seater restaurant, library, and conference centre. But as Mr. Kwakye Ofosu revealed, it has so far cost the state a staggering $97 million—with $58 million already paid and an additional $39 million still owed to the contractor.
“It bears noting that documentation available indicates that contrary to the widely held view that total payments and commitments to the National Cathedral Project amount to $58 million so far, there is an additional outstanding $39 million payment due the contractor,” he disclosed. “This will bring the total cost incurred for the hole at the site of the project to $97 million.”
The audit report identified significant discrepancies in payments made to consultants, including Sir David Adjaye & Associates Ltd., where a GHS 4.9 million variance in reported payments remains unexplained. Procurement laws were also violated, with payments made before contract approvals and sole-sourced contracts lacking required justification.
A particularly troubling issue flagged was the continued payment of USD 523,521.03 to The Nehemiah Group after its one-year contract expired without renewal. The group was also paid USD 110,630.56 to organise fundraising events in the US that yielded no results. At the same time, another firm, Kubik Maltbie, was paid nearly 87% of what The Nehemiah Group received for similar project coordination roles, raising concerns about duplicate payments for overlapping responsibilities.
The report also cited an unsubstantiated GHS 2.6 million loan request from JNS Talent Centre Limited, owned by a member of the dissolved Board of Trustees, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng. No loan agreement was found to support the transaction, though project funds were used to repay it.
Further, donation records were found to be riddled with inconsistencies and unreconciled mobile money transactions amounting to over GHS 38 million. Poor documentation, duplicate approvals, and unsupported expenditures—including hotel bills, trips abroad, and payments to bloggers—were also detailed in the report.
In one instance, GHS 292,681 out of GHS 349,847 spent on office costs and accommodation for a symposium hosted by the Biblical Museum of Africa could not be accounted for. The report also found that the composition of the project’s Procurement Committee violated provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu concluded by assuring the public that the Deloitte audit report will be published and that the Attorney-General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, is working to lawfully terminate all contracts linked to the failed project to avert further financial losses to the state.
“The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice is taking steps to ensure the lawful termination of the contract to prevent further costs and losses to the state,” he said.
The scandal surrounding the National Cathedral project is expected to trigger broader accountability measures and reignite national debate over the intersection of religion, governance, and public finance.
Source: GraphicOnline
