National Cathedral site handed back to government pending AG’s review – Mahama Ayariga

The site of the National Cathedral has been handed back to the government as the Mahama administration awaits the Attorney-General’s review of a forensic audit into expenditure on the project, Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister Mahama Ayariga has disclosed.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House on Monday, October 5, Mr Ayariga said the contractor had been directed to hand over the site to his Ministry, which will hold it until the government decides on the future of the project based on advice from the Attorney-General.

“Given that the National Cathedral is a property of the Government of Ghana, I’ve also directed the contractor to hand over the site to the Minister of Local Government and Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, awaiting Federal government directive,” he said.

Mr Ayariga said the Attorney-General was reviewing the forensic audit into expenditure related to the initial plans for the construction of the National Cathedral under the previous administration.

“After the Attorney General has reviewed the audit that has been conducted, the forensic audit that has been conducted into the expenditures related to the initial plans to construct a national Cathedral by President Akufo-Addo and then based on the Attorney General’s advice, we would know what the next steps are,” he said.

He also confirmed that the board of trustees of the National Cathedral had been dissolved following government’s decision not to commit further public funds to the construction.

“And so I have sent the letter to the board members informing them that they have been dissolved,” he said, adding that the government would determine the next steps for the site after receiving the Attorney-General’s advice.