Mustapha Gbande
The Deputy General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has called on the party to apologise to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the previous government if its past allegations of wrongdoing in the National Cathedral project are found to be unsubstantiated.
Mr. Gbande said the NDC had a responsibility to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation into the project before supporting any move to reconstruct the National Cathedral.
He said the party had previously accused the former NPP administration of corruption in connection with the project and had told Ghanaians that it was impossible for $58 million to have been spent merely on digging a hole for the proposed edifice.
According to him, the party must now allow the investigation into the project to take precedence over any plans for reconstruction or the establishment of committees.
“At this point, the investigation is more important to the people of Ghana, angels from heaven and God himself than reconstruction and committees,” Mr. Gbande stated in a Facebook post.
He said if the allegations made by the NDC were subsequently proven to be wrong, the party should collectively apologise to the NPP and the previous government.
“If we were wrong, we must first collectively apologise to the NPP and the previous government. Until that conversation is completely settled, I doubt if our party will want to sacrifice its credibility into this game being cooked,” he said.
Mr. Gbande, who described himself as a Christian, said he supported the idea of having a monument built to the glory of God but warned against hypocrisy and double standards in dealing with the National Cathedral controversy.
He said individual credibility was also at stake, stressing that he would not support actions that could compromise the principles of the party.
“At this point individual credibility matters, some of us won’t stand for any curse from God. Those starting it must be prepared,” he said.
Mr. Gbande further urged the NDC to uphold principles in its handling of the matter, warning that politics without boundaries, limits and principles could become dangerous.
“The agenda must die just as it started. We must up the game a little into upholding principles. Politics without boundaries, limits and principles is a dangerous arena,” he stated.
He also said Ghanaians had previously raised concerns about the timing and location of the National Cathedral project, as well as the management of funds, but that those warnings had been ignored.
“The people of Ghana spoke against the timing, the location and the fund management and a price was paid for ignoring the warning signs,” Mr. Gbande said.
He therefore called for the matter to be subjected to a credible investigation to establish the facts and determine responsibility before decisions were taken on the future of the project.
President Mahama
Meanwhile, President John Mahama has said he has no objection to the construction of a National Cathedral but maintained that taxpayers’ money should not be used to finance the project.
Speaking at a citizens’ engagement during his tour of the Upper West Region, the President said the Christian community had the capacity to raise the funds required for the project.
“I mean, how many Christians are in this country? If we all pay GH¢1,000 each, we should be able to construct a national cathedral,” he said and urged Christian organisations in the country to take the lead in mobilising resources for the project.
President Mahama also maintained that the location of the project was problematic, citing the concentration of major public institutions and facilities in the area.
He mentioned Parliament, the International Conference Centre, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and the National Theatre as some of the facilities around the site.
“My principle has always been that the location has been a problem,” he said, adding that putting another major facility at the location could constrict the area, which is also used for major national ceremonies.
The President further criticised the demolition of several properties to make way for the cathedral, including 10 judges’ residences, the residence of the Malian Ambassador and the old passport office.
President Mahama stressed that his position should not be interpreted as opposition to the construction of a National Cathedral.
“I am a Christian myself. I have nothing against having a National Cathedral,” he said.
He also disclosed that a forensic audit of the project had been completed and was currently with the Attorney General.
According to him, a copy of the audit would be made available to the Christian Council of Ghana to enable it to examine how almost $90 million had been spent on the project and determine whether corrective action was required.
The President’s comments came after the Christian Council announced on Friday, September 11, that it had constituted a technical committee comprising representatives from various Christian groupings to explore ways of reviving the stalled project.
The committee has one month to develop a practical funding model and make recommendations on the proposed location and other outstanding issues.
President Mahama also maintained that, unlike other projects and policies inherited from previous administrations which he had pledged to continue where they were in the public interest, the National Cathedral did not fall into that category.
He said the project was a personal pledge made by former President Nana Akufo-Addo rather than a government policy.
By Ernest Kofi Adu