According to Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of Government Communication, the state has spent a total of $97 million on the National Cathedral project.
This disclosure comes after President John Dramani Mahama ordered Deloitte and Touche to audit the project. Kwakye Ofosu claims that the audit found serious financial irregularities, such as inadequate accounting procedures, a lack of due diligence, and weak internal controls.
He further mentioned that for a number of transactions, management did not supply the necessary paperwork.
Addressing journalists on Friday, July 18, he stated, “Equally troubling is the failure of management to produce documents to support several transactions, including office costs, board expenses, and accommodation for the symposium hosted by the Biblical Museum of Africa.”
He pointed out that there is still $39 million owed to the contractor, which is in contrast to the commonly accepted belief that the total payments and obligations made to the project were $58 million. According to him, this raises the project’s overall cost to $97 million.
“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. This will bring the total cost incurred for the hole at the site of the project to $97 million,” He disclosed.
Kwakye Ofosu also voiced alarm about the fact that, despite the project’s construction having stopped years ago because of the contract’s disadvantageous terms, new expenses are still being incurred every day.
Apart from its religious purpose, the Cathedral is intended to be a beacon of culture and heritage. A Bible Museum, Biblical Garden, banquet hall, 350-seat restaurant, library, and conference center are among the planned amenities, which are all intended to foster faith-based travel and patriotism.