Parliament sets up committee to probe National Cathedral project

Parliament has directed the establishment of an ad-hoc committee to conduct an enquiry into the National Cathedral project and all related matters and to make appropriate recommendations for consideration by the House.

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa together with five other minority members filed a private member’s motion demanding a probe into the stalled project despite the injection of about $58 million into the facility.

Work on the National Cathedral stalled a year ago with liability and interest costs being incurred day in and day out.

Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah adopting the motion for onward action by the leadership of the house said “This motion is a very very important one and I pray that this house will approve this motion under order 919. Order 919 provides that the house at any time by motion appoint a special or Adhoc committee to investigate any matter of public importance.

“The National Cathedral project of Ghana is essentially the most expensive project in the history of Ghana. Already as we speak, this project has ballooned from 100 million to $400 million and it’s still a moving target, it is
still rising.

“So far, about $58 million has been spent on the project and what we see has become a subject of considerable controversy. We only see a hole and we are not too sure really if it is $58 million that has gone into the project. We know that the project has been abandoned since March last year.”

“As we speak the cost continues to go up, there are liabilities, there are interests and suspension claims which on its own runs into about $52 million by my check,” he stated.