The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has strongly criticised what he described as a “premature frenzy” surrounding claims that an audit report by Deloitte has cleared the National Cathedral Secretariat of any wrongdoing.
In a sharp response to a statement issued by the Secretariat, Hon. Ablakwa emphasised the need for transparency and a comprehensive audit that spans the entire duration of the project.
Hon. Ablakwa cautioned, stating that a single year’s audit cannot represent the totality of the project’s financial management.
“First of all, let me point out that Ghanaians demand a full publication of the said 2020 audit to draw our own informed conclusions. We shall not rely on the interpretations of an interested party”.
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP North Tongu Constituency
According to him, the National Cathedral Secretariat’s statement is “grossly misleading,” as it only refers to a fraction of the funds disbursed for the project.
Hon. Ablakwa noted that while the 2020 audit is important, it represents just a sliver of the total expenditure, with the vast majority of funds being released after 2020.
“By 2020, only 0.13% of financial releases had been made,” he revealed, citing a document submitted to Parliament by the Ministry of Finance.
According to this document, by the end of 2020, a mere GHS445,000 (US$89,000) had been disbursed for the project.
Post-2020 Expenditures
The Chairman of the Assurances Committee of Parliament, Hon. Ablakwa outlined the significant sums that have been released since 2020, which amount to over GHS339 million (US$58.1 million).
These releases, he contended, represent the bulk of the project’s funding and therefore, any audit focusing solely on 2020 is insufficient.
“The post-2020 details in the Finance Ministry document are provided below: The then Finance Minister indicated that on 5th March 2021, a release of GHS80,525,461.84 (US$13,972,594.93) was effected. On 10th February 2021 another release of GHS32, 070,103.02 (US$5,564,827.84) was made.
“On 29th October 2021 a release of GHS142, 762,500.00 (US$25,000,000.00) was made. On 19th August, 2021 a release of GHS58, 200,000.00 (US$10,000,000.00) was made. On 31st March 2022, a release of 25,000,000.00 (US$3,515,086.75) was effected”.
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP North Tongu Constituency
“These illegal releases amount to GHS339, 003,064.86 (US$58,141,509.52),” Hon. Ablakwa noted, underscoring the importance of a full audit that covers the period beyond 2020.
Hon. Ablakwa emphasized that the 2020 audit covers only 0.13% of the actual illegal releases for the National Cathedral project.
Awaiting Comprehensive Audit
Hon. Ablakwa emphasized that while the 2020 audit is a welcome step, the real scrutiny will come with the completion of audits for 2021, 2022, and 2023, which will account for over 99% of the funds disbursed.
He questioned how a credible audit could reconcile the massive sums spent with the apparent lack of progress on the project, which critics have mockingly referred to as the “world’s most expensive pit” and “National Cathedral Swimming Pool.”
The North Tongu MP further pointed to what he described as a “litany of corrupt practices,” including inflated pricing, multiple legal breaches, demolitions, and questionable payments.
“It would be interesting to see how the litany of corrupt practices, diversions to Cary Summers and others, inflationary pricing, multiple legal breaches, demolishing, avoidable compensations, and criminal double identity payments will be cleaned up by any credible audit.”
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP North Tongu Constituency
In closing, Hon. Ablakwa made it clear that this matter is far from over. “The real comprehensive audit shall be conducted soon,” he asserted, adding, “For God and Country.”
Hon. Ablakwa’s remarks are likely to further intensify scrutiny of the National Cathedral project, which has been mired in controversy over its financing and management.
His demand for transparency and accountability underscores a broader call for clarity on major public projects that involve significant taxpayer resources.
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