An Akan adage has it that “things happen for a purpose”. We cannot agree more with this. Many happenings these days palpably attest to this words of wisdom, especially as the wages of propaganda are being reaped by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
We are compelled to return to the subject of the National Cathedral project and its attendant issues, propaganda et al.
The concept behind the project is a wonderful one hinged upon spirituality as it is. Ghana, although secular in nature, is a spiritual country with majority of her people belonging to the two main Abrahamic faiths of Christianity and Islam.
As pointed out in an earlier commentary on the subject, our colonial stable counterpart Nigeria incorporated a national cathedral and mosque in the new federal capital design. The two are part of the skyline of Abuja, the new capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In Ghana however, the smelly propaganda contagion which the NDC introduced into local politics did not spare the project. “Babies with sharp teeth” were unleashed by their handlers and paymasters to descend upon the highly respected clergymen put in charge of the National Cathedral project.
It was instructive that the membership of the clergymen engaged to oversee the project was calculated, covering the various denominations perceived, and political inclinations not considered.
The propaganda against the project was calculated, part of which intended to have some of the clergymen resign. The resignations were part of the propaganda and iced the cake as intended by the dirty operations managers of the NDC.
If propaganda won’t spare the realm of spirituality and therefore target such personalities like the former Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah, then local politics has really gone wayward and requires serious deliverance, not the joke which unfolded at the forecourt of the State House recently. Thanksgiving when vengeance and violence against women as it happened during the Ablekuma North election rerun is hatched by government, won’t be accepted by the Almighty God. The Omnipotent God cannot be mocked.
So much scum was hurled at the project and the clergymen, not plaudits and sadly so.
It was a welcome development when the internationally-acclaimed auditing firm, Deloitte, was assigned the task of auditing the books of the project.
The nation held her breath as the auditors commenced their work, government especially waiting for a bombshell. The certificate of clean health from the auditors attracted positive comments from a cross section of Ghanaians, especially as it cleared the names of the revered personalities.
The President, intent on having the managers of the project disgraced by all means, have as it were ordered the dissolution of the Board. According to the Spokesperson for Government, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Deloitte assignment did not cover all aspects of the project.
We did not know that auditors are restricted in what they should tackle in their tasks.
It is a fact that government would demand of the state auditors to by all means determine financial malfeasance in the work of the managers of the National Cathedral project.
It is heartbreaking that after paying Deloitte to do the work assigned them, a state agency is being tasked to do same. If this does not constitute financial loss to the state we do not know what else does.
Even before the state institutions directed to investigate the books of the Cathedral project complete their assignments, the Government Spokesperson has announced troubling findings which, according to him, call for the termination of the contract.