There has been no final decision on the future use of the land, which had been earmarked for the National Cathedral project, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister for Government Communication, has said.
Clarifying Mr Kwakye Ofosu said a proposal by a continental organisation to convert the site into a convention centre and cultural complex in exchange for office space was not under consideration.
In the meantime, he says President John Mahama has directed the Auditor-General to conduct a forensic audit into the National Cathedral project, including a GH¢4.9 million discrepancy in payments made to a contractor.
Speaking in a radio interview with Citi FM on Tuesday, [July 22, 2025], Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the directive forms part of efforts to establish accountability for financial mismanagement flagged in a series of audit management letters issued by Deloitte.
According to Mr Ofosu, the GH¢4.9 million reflects a mismatch between payments made and the actual work done.
“If there is a discrepancy of GH¢4.9 million in payment to a contractor, the forensic audit will determine exactly how it occurred and who is responsible for the shortfall,” he said.
He noted that the Deloitte audit report, which was commissioned by the National Cathedral Secretariat, has been misrepresented by some opposition figures and media commentators as an endorsement of the project’s financial records.
“The audited financial statements are limited in scope. It is the management letters that point to serious financial irregularities, breaches of procurement regulations, and unexplained expenditure,” Mr Ofosu stated.
The Deloitte audit was part of a routine financial review and did not include a performance or forensic assessment.
However, its management letter highlighted repeated breaches of procurement laws and weak financial record-keeping, including expenditures without supporting documentation.
Mr Ofosu criticised both the National Cathedral Secretariat and some Members of Parliament for mischaracterising the audit’s findings.
“There can be no honest reading of the management letter that leads to the conclusion that nothing went wrong. It is filled with evidence of financial mismanagement and wrongdoing,” he said.
The government has since suspended all funding to the project. The Secretariat was dissolved with effect from May 1, 2025, and staff salaries were halted from April 29.
President John Dramani Mahama has also instructed the Attorney-General to begin the legal process to dissolve the Board of Trustees and cancel the contract with the main contractor, citing ongoing losses from equipment rental.
The National Cathedral project, sited on 15.7 acres of land in central Accra, has so far cost the state an estimated US$97 million. This figure includes US$58 million in confirmed government spending and US$39 million in interim payment certificates submitted by the contractor.
Despite public discussions, the government says no final decision has been taken on the future use of the land.
Mr Ofosu clarified that a proposal by a continental organisation to convert the site into a convention centre and cultural complex in exchange for office space was not under consideration.
He added that no more public funds would be allocated to the project. “President Mahama, for as long as he remains in office, is unprepared to see even a pesewa of taxpayers’ money spent on this National Cathedral,” he said.
