The Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana is expected to be dissolved in the coming days.

This was made known by the Government Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, during a press briefing on Friday, July 18.

According to him, the Attorney General (AG) has been instructed by President John Dramani Mahama to ensure all legal processes are initiated for the revocation of the board's mandate.

The decision to dissolve the board was prompted by a recent audit report from Deloitte and Touche on the National project.

“The above audit findings rock the very foundation of the project and the work of the Secretariat and raise serious questions about the use of public funds.

“The National Cathedral Ghana was registered limited by guarantee. In view of that, the Attorney General has been directed to take legal steps… and we expect that to be done in the coming days.

"The audit report for the 2022 financial year uncovers a troubling pattern of poor accounting practices, unsupported expenditures and lapses in financial oversight at the National Cathedral Secretariat, " he revealed.

He added that the Secretariat spent 18,500 Ghana cedis on the expenses of one Kharis Psalmist; however, it failed to document the full cost rendered in its records.

"A key example involves academic payment for Mr Kharis Psalmist who was lodged at the Movenpick Hotel from 16th to 28th February 2022 at a cost of 18,500 Ghana cedis.

"However, only 4,976.00 Ghana Cedis was recorded in the books with no documentation accounting for the remaining 13,524.00 Ghana Cedis, which reportedly a refund issued by the hotel but not traceable in the financial records," he stated.

The report further explained that, contrary to the $58 million claimed by the former NPP government spent on the National Cathedral project, an outstanding $39 million owed to the contractor brings the total cost to $97 million.

The National Cathedral, originally proposed under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was envisioned as a monumental Christian worship centre in Ghana.

But the project progressed at a snail's pace, spiralling costs and the use of public funds in a secular state. According to reports, a total amount of $58 million was spent on the project deemed to be Ghana’s most expensive bit.

Over a year ago, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, raised concerns with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), alleging irregularities in the project's construction and the operations of the National Cathedral Secretariat.

After investigating the case for several months, the Commission recommended that the Office of the Auditor-General intervene and conduct a forensic audit to ascertain whether funds allocated for the project were used for their intended purposes.

The Commission highlighted that GHS225.9 million in “seed money” had been spent on activities including site preparation, contractor mobilization, and consultancy services as of May 31, 2022.

CHRAJ's detailed report recommended the potential prosecution of the board of trustees overseeing the National Cathedral project, citing their role in awarding the contract to Ribade Company Limited.

The report highlighted multiple violations of procurement regulations and warned that the failure of those involved to address the issues could tarnish Ghana’s reputation both locally and internationally.

The government, in April this year, dissolved the National Cathedral Secretariat after noting that it would no longer provide funding for the abandoned project.

Read full Deloitte audit report below:

DELIOTTE ON NATIONAL CATHEDRALDownload