The Christian Council of Ghana is set to form a technical committee to address the challenges surrounding the stalled National Cathedral project and determine a way forward.

The committee, which will include representatives from various Christian groupings, has been given a one-month deadline to propose a workable funding model and make recommendations on the project’s location and other outstanding matters.

The Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Reverend Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.

He said the committee’s recommendations would be submitted to President John Mahama to inform decisions on the future of the project.

“Under this council, within a month, we will discuss issues relating to the practical intervention of funding, location and other things pertinent to the National Cathedral. So, we will within the month present the recommendations and expect the necessary decisions to be taken.”

The Council further urged authorities to expedite the forensic audit into the National Cathedral project, noting that the findings would provide Christian leaders with the information needed to evaluate the project and determine the next steps.

How the National Cathedral started

Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, accompanied by senior members of the clergy, laid the foundation stone for the National Cathedral on March 5, 2020, to start the construction.

A National Cathedral Secretariat has been set up to raise funds from individuals and the private sector for its construction, while work continues apace.

The Secretariat of the National Cathedral of Ghana is pleased to announce the appointment of Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah as the New Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral project.

Announcing the Board of Trustees at the Presidency on Monday, February 8, 2021, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo expressed his satisfaction that in Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah, a suitable and worthy replacement has been found for the founding Trustee Chairman, Most Rev. Samuel Asante Antwi, who passed away on September 13, 2020.

Apostle Prof Opoku Onyinah expressed the appreciation of the Trustees to the President for the privilege of serving as Trustees and his gratitude for the honour done to him by the President. He expressed the hope that, collectively, he and the team will work to ensure the completion of the National Cathedral.

Apostle Prof Opoku Onyinah brings to the Chairmanship of the Board of Trustees distinguished service to the Church in Ghana, Africa, and globally.

Work on the cathedral has come to a halt after the project contractor, RIBADE Company LTD, allegedly sacked over 200 of its workers over a lack of funds.

The site for the edifice, which is a 14.5-acre plot of land next to the Parliament House of Ghana, has come to a halt after the government spent about GH¢200 million on the project.

A letter dated March 14, 2022, signed by the project manager, Grant Ramsay, making rounds on social media, asked all the workers to return every property in their possession to the Human Resources office.

It stated that it was only complying with portions of the contract that required them to mitigate costs, since they were not receiving funds for the project.