Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed his frustration over what he describes as government’s reckless spending on the abandoned National Cathedral project.
This follows Dr. Joyce Aryee, a member of the National Cathedral’s board of trustees, dismissing concerns about staff payments during the construction halt as “ridiculous.”
She gave the response amid increasing concerns regarding the stalled progress of the project and its effect on staff salaries.
Speaking on the sidelines of a symposium held in collaboration with TD Jakes’ divinity school on Monday, October 14, Dr. Aryee stated: “Just because a project is on hold doesn’t mean that people aren’t working to keep it moving forward. I’m surprised by these claims and, honestly, I find them ridiculous. I won’t comment further on this.”
Reacting to this in a Facebook post, Mr. Ablakwa criticised the continuous use of taxpayer funds on a project that has made little progress, referring to it as “the world’s most expensive pit.”
According to Mr. Ablakwa, over USD58 million has been spent so far, mostly on excavation and foundational work, with no significant advancement in construction.
Despite this, the government continues to use public funds to pay salaries and maintain project expenses for 31 months after its abandonment.
“You spend over USD$58 million to dig the world’s most expensive pit. You continue to use taxes of suffering Ghanaians to pay salaries for 31 long months after the project was abandoned, and this is your best response to Ghanaians demanding an end to this cruel wastage and plunder?” Mr. Ablakwa remarked.
The MP further expressed his dismay at what he perceives as disrespect to both Ghanaians and the religious significance of the project, stating: “God’s holy image doesn’t deserve this. And certainly, Ghanaians don’t deserve this ungodly impunity and utter disrespect.”
Quoting scripture, Mr. Ablakwa ended his statement with a biblical reference: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (I Peter 4:17a), underscoring his belief that accountability for the mismanagement of the National Cathedral project must be addressed.
Source: classfmonline.com
