The Member of parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is demanding the immediate abrogation of the National Cathedral project and the refund of all illegal monies paid.
He is also proposing a national dialogue on how to utilize the project site, which he says has now become the world’s most expensive hole, costing the tax payer a whopping $58m.
According to him, Parliament’s attempt to investigate illegal payments has been stalled because the Majority side of Parliament is refusing to present to the Speaker, names of NPP members to be on the Committee yet to be formed.
Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa was addressing the media after he, together with some NDC legislators defied the military and other security detail to ‘satirically’ commission the National Cathedral of Ghana.
The MP, who has made a lot of expose on scandals involving some members of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral project, tracked illegal payments and still demanding questions, made a list of 13 demands from the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo.
These include the retrieval of over $19million paid to the architect of the National Cathedral, Sir David Adjaye, and the $6 million paid to Cary Summers, a consultant for the project.
The MP also demanded that the President retrieve the GH¢2.6m allegedly paid to Rev Victor Kusi Boateng, the secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Cathedral.
He also called on President Akufo-Addo to immediately close down the National Cathedral Secretariat, terminate the contract for its continuation and dissolve the Board of Trustees.
See the list of demands below:
AKUFO-ADDO’S CATHEDRAL COMMISSIONING DAY MEDIA ENGAGEMENT AT THE WOLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE PIT
1. An explanation from President Akufo-Addo on why he failed to fulfill his promise to God and to the sovereign Ghanaian people promise to commission his US$450million (GHS5.7billion) “priority of priorities” cathedral today the 6th of March 2024;
2. Full accountability on what happened to our US$58,141,509.52 (GHS740million) why all we see here is the world’s most expensive pit and why the contractors, RIBADE JV abandoned the project for lack of payment 2 years ago;
3. A comprehensive report on how much it has cost the state to so far replace and compensate some owners of demolished properties, and how much is still outstanding considering that aggrieved demolished property owners such as Waterstone Realty have resorted to the courts. We note that the following properties were recklessly demolished on the orders of President Akufo-Addo: Bungalows for Judges, Judicial Training Institute, Passport Head Office, Scholarship Secretariat, Bungalows for CHRAJ, Waterstone Realty Luxury Apartment Complex, Headquarters of Comsys IT Firm and the Malian Ambassador’s Residence;
4. Contract must be immediately terminated to avoid further financial loss to the state. According to the contract, Ghana will have to pay Extension of Time Claims, Standing Time Claims, Abortive & Re-Works Cost due to Main Contractor Suspension;
5. Board of Trustees must be dissolved without delay;
6. National Cathedral Secretariat should be immediately closed. So far this secretariat has received GHS225,962,500. (Refer to organogram as attached)
7. Retrievals from the following persons: David Adjaye-US$19.6million (GHS250million), Cary Summers US$6million (GHS76million), Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng/Kwabena Adu Gyamfi-GHS2.6million
8. Publication of the Deloitte audit which was promised on 24th January, 2023 more than a year ago;
9. The NPP Caucus in Parliament should desist from sabotaging the impending Parliamentary Probe after a unanimous parliamentary resolution. The NPP’s unpatriotic conduct by deliberately delaying the submission of names of their members to the Rt. Hon. Speaker for the committee to commence work is most condemnable;
10. Appeal to CHRAJ to expedite action and publish the outcome of their investigations following my January 16, 2023 petition;
11. That the Board of Trustees and the National Cathedral Secretariat account for all private donations so far received, particularly their infamous US operations;
12. All those responsible for this gross financial loss to the state must be prosecuted with immediate effect; and
13. We call for a national debate leading to a possible national consensus on what should happen to the world’s most expensive pit moving forward. Some have suggested a specialist children’s hospital which Ghana currently lacks, we also note that recently the Secretary-General of the TUC, Dr Anthony Yaw Baah TUC suggested the place be converted to a hospital.
For God and Country
Ghana First
