Publish the Deloitte audit report – Ablakwa tells Nat’l Cathedral Secretariat

North Tongu lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has challenged the National Cathedral Secretariat to publish the audit report that the secretariat claimed made no adverse findings against the project.

To him, the Secretariat has just put their own interpretations of the report out there in the public domain, an interpretation he said must be treated with a pinch of salt.

“Nobody has seen the 2020 audit report, they must publish the report. If they believe they have been cleared, that no adverse findings have been made against you, publish the full report, What they have put out there is an interpretation being made by the National Cathedral Secretariat,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, October 5.

Mr Ablakwa further revealed that an amount of $58.1 million has been sunk into the National Cathedral project.

This amount, he said, excludes the $3.5 million donations received around the world.

He said “A colossal amount of $58.1 million has been sunk into the national cathedral project, this is just taxes, our tax payers funds used for the project. This does not include donations that have come in from all over the world, the $3.5 million donation.”

The Secretariat had stated that international accounting and auditing, firm, Deloitte made no adverse findings in their audit of the National Cathedral project during the year-end 2020.

The firm also stated that “proper books of accounts have been kept and the information and explanation provided are in the manner required by the Companies Act, 2019,(922).”

These were contained in a statement issued by the Chairman of the National Cathedral Board, Apostle Professor Opoku Onyina following a meeting Deloitte had with Church leaders on Friday, September 20.
The Board said it had been concerned by the length of time it has taken to complete the audit, which formally started in July 2023. However, upon receipt of the first report, they appreciated the meticulous audit processes adopted by Deloitte, including the thorough circularisation procedures that involved all parties related to monies received and expenditures on the project.

Several allegations including financial impropriety had been leveled against the project, especially by Ablakwa. In fact, Mr Ablakwa is on record to have said that some persons would be charged for causing financial loss to the state in relation to this project.

But the statement issued by Prof Onyina after the meeting with the auditors said that “In the presentation, and in answers to questions after the presentation, the Auditors were categorical that there was no adverse findings, and: “proper books of accounts have been kept and the information and explanation provided are in the manner required by the Companies Act, 2019,(922).”

Below is a the full statement…

On Friday September 20, 2024 the Board of Directors of the National Cathedral of Ghana (NCG), convened a meeting for the Auditors, Deloitte, to brief Church leaders on the statutory audit report from the inception of the project to the period ended 31 December 2020 by Deloitte Ghana has been completed.

This forms the first report of an on-going statutory audit by Deloitte Ghana initiated by the Board. The audit for the year ended, 31 December 2021 is also in progress, while the remaining audits comprising the years ended, 31 December 2022 and 2023 are planned for completion latest by the end of the year.

The Board has been concerned by the length of time it has taken to complete the audit, which formally started in July 2023. However, upon receipt of the first report, we appreciate the meticulous audit processes adopted by Deloitte, including the thorough circularisation procedures that involved all parties related to monies received and expenditures on the project. This has ensured that:

The auditors have confirmed and corroborated all receipts and expenditures on the project since inception by all parties, including the state.
The auditors independently confirmed donations received by NCG nationwide.
The auditors performed the relevant confirmations from all the financial institutions involved in the project.
In the presentation, and in answers to questions after the presentation, the Auditors were categorical that there was no adverse findings, and: “proper books of accounts have been kept and the information and explanation provided are in the manner required by the Companies Act, 2019,(922).

We are grateful for the church leadership that facilitated the meeting, in particular Most Rev Dr Paul Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana; Rev Dr Cyril Fayose, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana; and Very Rev. Fr. Clement Kwasi Adjei, Secretary General, Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC).

The need for an audit was a key demand by the church leadership and Ghanaians in general to establish credibility of the implementation of the project. With the completion of this first report, preparations are underway for construction to resume.

We appreciate your support so far, and trust that the completion of the on-going audit will renew your prayer and financial support for the NCG project.