Shameful NDC MPs Commission Uncompleted National Catherdal

Some National Democratic Congress, NDC, Members of Parliament, on March 6, 2024, instead of joining the rest of Ghanaians to mark the 67th Independence Day Celebration rather chose to create a scene by storming the venue of the ongoing construction of the National Cathedral claiming to be commissioning it.

The National Cathedral was originally scheduled for commissioning on March 6, 2024 as outlined by former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in the 2021 budget statement.

The project has drawn significant criticism, particularly from minority MPs dissatisfied with its associated costs.

The gang of MPs led by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and some MPs on Wednesday mounted balloons as a symbolic presentation and stormed the venue in a dramatic approach to commission the unfinished National Cathedral project which is at the foundation level despite an initial clash with the security details at the scene.

The MPs were resisted by the military and police security from accessing the construction site, but after a standoff with the security, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George urged the officers to allow the MPs to perform their oversight responsibility.

They claimed their gesture was aimed at highlighting the government’s perceived failure to complete the project.

However, after a series of back-and-forth which lasted several minutes, the minority MPs reached an agreement with the security personnel to address the media at the entrance of the project.

Okudzekto Insults

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who has been fighting against the construction of the project after their invasion took on his Facebook page to lambast the government.

Below is his full post on his Facebook page:

Despite provocative, undemocratic and needless attempts by soldiers and police who were instructed to stop us, we courageously defied the orders of their superiors and had a very successful media engagement earlier today.

It’s intriguing seeing the desperate attempts to stop us if government has nothing to hide.

I am glad, however, that at the precincts of the World’s Most Expensive US$58million Pit, on the day President Akufo-Addo promised God, Parliament and the Ghanaian people that he will commission his US$450million priority of priorities National Cathedral project, we perfectly executed our accountability mission for God and Country.

We are grateful to all patriotic Ghanaians for the overwhelming support and solidarity.

See below the 13 demands we presented to the media:

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.”
– Malachi 3:8a

Demands:

1. An explanation from President Akufo-Addo on why he failed to fulfill his promise to God, to Parliament and to the sovereign Ghanaian people — the 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;

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 suggested the place be converted to a hospital.

For God and Country.

Ghana First