“Therefore, Parliament may, if it so desires, establish a commission or appoint an independent auditor to examine all matters relating to the award of contracts, procurement, construction works and financial operations of the National Cathedral Project so far.”
It acknowledged the current financial difficulties, stressing that the project has stalled.
In a statement, the ministry said, “The project has submitted all the documents related to the project to the Parliament in December 2022. Thus, if the Parliament wishes it can establish a commission or appoint an independent auditor to review all issues related to contracts, procurement, construction work and financial operations of the National Cathedral Project.
The decision to carry out this statutory audit was taken at a meeting of the National Cathedral’s Board of Trustees on Monday, January 23.
The decision comes after two members of the board – Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and Rev Eastwood Anaba – called for the immediate suspension of the project and a subsequent audit of the contracts awarded so far.
In a report by Accra-based Joy FM, the priests sent a memorandum to the cathedral’s secretariat where they said the suspension paves the way for transparency and accountability to the Ghanaian people.
“In the spirit and cause of transparency and accountability to the Ghanaian people, the current Board of the National Cathedral appoints an independent, nationally recognized accounting firm to audit all public funds contributed to and spent by the National Cathedral.
“Auditors audit the overall cost of the project. The appointment of these auditors will take place before the adjournment of the activities of the Board of Trustees,” excerpts from the memo.
The National Cathedral project has come under intense scrutiny in the past few months, however, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said the government must find a way to build it.
