National Cathedral: Government Dissolves Secretariat, Moves to Scrap Board of Trustees Amid $97M Audit Scandal

The government has announced the formal dissolution of the National Cathedral Secretariat and initiated legal proceedings to disband the Board of Trustees following damning revelations in an independent audit conducted by Deloitte and Touche.

Speaking at a press briefing at Jubilee House, Government Spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama dissolved the Secretariat effective May 1, 2025, after Deloitte’s audit uncovered serious financial and governance breaches.

“These findings rock the very foundation of the project and the work of the Secretariat,” Kwakye Ofosu stated.

The audit, which reviewed activities from December 31, 2021, to December 31, 2023, flagged numerous irregularities, including:

• Unsupported expenditures,
• Procurement violations,
• Overlapping consultant roles,
• Discrepancies in contract values, and
• Questionable payments to foreign firms, including Nehemiah Group and Associates.

Deloitte confirmed that total payments and financial commitments for the project now stand at $97 million — a significant inflation from the previously cited $58 million. Alarmingly, $39 million remains outstanding to contractors, even though construction has stalled for years.

Kwakye Ofosu noted that while the Deloitte report exposed “deep cracks,” it did not cover the full operations of the Secretariat. Therefore, the Auditor-General has been directed to launch a forensic audit to dig deeper into the project’s finances and uncover any additional wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General is reportedly preparing to terminate the project contract, aiming to stop further financial bleeding.

“After the forensic audit, decisive action will be taken regarding any impropriety determined and the future of the project itself,” Kwakye Ofosu affirmed.

The National Cathedral, once envisioned as a national symbol of unity and faith, has become a lightning rod for controversy, transparency concerns, and public backlash over its rising costs and alleged mismanagement.