Stop paying salaries of Board members and staff – Ablakwa

The continuous payment of salaries to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral project must stop immediately, North Tongu lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Abalkwa has said.

He argues that salaries cannot be paid to the board when the project has stalled for over 30 months.

“The continuous payment for salary to the National Cathedral Board must stop. I don’t expect them to see their November salary. A project which has come to a halt for 38 months and the board is receiving a salary?” he said on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, November 30.

Ablakwa further said that the 58 million Dollars spent on the National Cathedral project must be retrieved.

This follows the report of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on the project, a report Mr Ablakwa said has far-reaching consequences.

He said “Even though I have reservations about portions of the report let nobody downplay the far-reaching consequences of this report.”

“This report is explosive, damning, staggering, it has far-reaching implications,” he stressed.

He further stated that “The 58m dollars, we must demand a refund of our money because we can’t spend 58 million dollars on an illegality.”

CHRAJ had called for the cancellation of the construction of the National Cathedral by Ribade Company Ltd. The report emerged after Mr Ablakwa on January 16, 2023, petitioned the Commission to investigate the state funds paid to JNS Talent Centre Ltd by the Controller and Accountant General Department and the National Cathedral of Ghana.

After over a year of investigations, the Commission concluded that a total of $312, 394,049.53 was paid to Ribade Company Ltd for the construction of the National Cathedral. The Commission noted that the National Cathedral of Ghana did not strictly comply with the rules of public procurement provided for under Act 663 hence rendering the contract awarded to Ribade illegal and void.

“Having found that the contract awarded to Ribade Company Ltd is void ab initio for being entered into contrary to the mandatory provisions of the Procurement Act, Act 663 as amended by Act 914 the Commission also recommends that the Board of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) should intervene to cancel the contract for the construction of the National Cathedral between the National Cathedral and Ribade Company as it has the power to do so under the Procurement Act,” the Commission indicated as part of its recommendations.

The Commission also recommended further investigation and possible “prosecution of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral who superintended over the award of the contract to Ribade Company in disregard to Act 663 as amended. These breaches of the procurement laws have the potential of courting international embarrassment to the country considering its international status and that of Ribade Company Ltd.”

Meanwhile, the petitioner, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said that, “This is a very damming report. To have a project which is being done in the name of the Almighty and superintended by reverend ministers to have this outcome,” Ablakwa said on Hot Issues on 3FM, November 25.

The construction of the National Cathedral has over the years divided public opinion with many criticizing government for disregarding opposition to its construction.

The project has been halted following lack of funds by the institutions and philanthropists.

As part of his commitments, President Akufo-Addo promised to build a National Cathedral as part of his honours to God in 2016.

Government’s contradictory statement regarding the source of funding of the Cathedral drew much condemnation from the public as concerns were raised about using taxpayers’ money to build the ultramodern flamboyant structure.