Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has revealed that recently intercepted payment records confirm that staff of the National Cathedral Secretariat were paid generous December salaries just four days ago.
According to him, the payment records indicate that each staff member received amounts ranging from GHC 20,721.00 to GHC 29,838.00.
This revelation comes amid ongoing public criticism of the Secretariat’s financial management, with many labeling it as excessively wasteful, especially in light of Ghana’s current economic challenges.
“Even as President Akufo-Addo was loudly silent on his scandalous US$ 58 million cathedral pit during yesterday’s State of the Nation Address — a legacy project he once described as his priority of priorities…
“…It is most insulting to suffering Ghanaian taxpayers, and the height of insensitivity for his government to continue paying staff of the National Cathedral Secretariat”.
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa highlighted with concern that, despite a damning November report from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) declaring the National Cathedral project illegal, the outgoing Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration has continued to pay exorbitant salaries to staff of the Secretariat.
He described the salaries as “shocking” and questioned the administration’s defiance in the face of the CHRAJ report, which not only deemed the project unlawful but also recommended the prosecution of officials involved in the controversial venture.
Ablakwa criticized the administration’s intransigence, arguing that such actions further erode public trust and accountability in governance.
Ablakwa Questions Akufo-Addo’s Silence on $58M Cathedral Controversy
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa further asserted that President Akufo-Addo appears too embarrassed to address the nation regarding the disastrous US$58 million National Cathedral project, which has become a symbol of waste and mismanagement.
Ablakwa argued that the President’s silence is particularly troubling, given his role in overseeing what he described as reckless salary payments to staff of the Secretariat.
He condemned these payments as an unjustifiable and egregious financial loss to the state, especially after 33 months have passed since the project was abandoned, leaving behind what is now mockingly referred to as the “world’s most expensive pit.”
Ablakwa emphasized that the continued allocation of funds to this failed initiative reflects a shocking disregard for fiscal discipline and accountability in the face of Ghana’s pressing economic challenges.
“Thanks to the wise decision of Ghanaians to hand out a humiliating defeat to the NPP in the December elections, this cruel dissipation of our taxes is over!”
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Hon. Ablakwa confidently stated that there will be no salary payments for staff of the National Cathedral Secretariat come January 2025.
He further predicted that the days of the Secretariat and other associated illegal, tax-draining structures are numbered, as they are likely to be dissolved shortly after the current administration exits office.
Ablakwa emphasized that the incoming leadership will prioritize accountability and fiscal responsibility, ensuring that such wasteful ventures, which have burdened the state coffers without tangible results, are decisively addressed.
He expressed optimism that these measures would mark the beginning of a new era of transparency and prudent management of national resources.
Accordingly, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa emphasized that the long-awaited day of reckoning has finally arrived.
He described this moment as an opportunity for accountability and justice to prevail, particularly in addressing the financial mismanagement and alleged illegality surrounding the National Cathedral project and other contentious issues under the outgoing administration.
Ablakwa expressed confidence that those responsible for the misuse of public funds and other breaches of public trust would face the full weight of the law.
He urged the public to remain vigilant and committed to ensuring that this critical moment marks the beginning of a more transparent and responsible era in governance.
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