Parliament to set up cttee to probe Nat’l Cathedral after Speaker admits motion
Parliament will be setting up a committee to probe issues relating to the National Cathedral Project.
This comes after the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, admitted the motion filed by the Minority to have the House look into the matter.
The Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in a tweet on Friday, March 3, said “Friends, I am glad to announce the Speaker has admitted two Key motions from us! This means: 1. The finance minister will be forced to bring the #DDEP to parliament for consideration! 2. parliament shall set up a committee to probe the national Cathedral.”
Earlier, North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who has been making a series of corruption revelations regarding the project welcomed the call by the National Cathedral Secretariat for a Parliamentary probe into the project.
In a tweet, he said “The power of the people has triggered quite some positive actions from the National Cathedral Board of Trustees; It’s obvious the suspended project will remain suspended until independent audits and various probes are concluded; Glad they will fully cooperate with the CHRAJ of Trustees without further delay—this would be in his own interest, particularly, having regard for the additional exposés in the pipeline;
“The Board of Trustees’ request for a parliamentary probe is most welcome, and I do hope Right Honourable Speaker Bagbin would approve our motion demanding an enquiry into the entire scandal-dominated cathedral project as submitted to his office last year. Truth, Transparency, Accountability and Justice must always prevail both in the Kingdom of Christ and in our dear Republic. For God and Country. Ghana First.”
The Secretariat stated in a statement it is fully prepared to submit the entire project to parliament investigations if the House decides to set up a committee to look into the project.
Already a, statutory audit of all transactions carried out so far on the National Cathedral project is set to commence soon.
Deloitte, which is said to have accepted to be auditors for the National Cathedral of Ghana when it was registered, is being engaged to undertake this exercise.
The decision to have this statutory audit done was taken at a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral on Monday, January 23.
This decision comes after two members of the Board – Archbishop Nicolas Duncan-Williams and Rev Eastwood Anaba – called for an immediate suspension of the project and subsequent audit of contracts awarded so far.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, January 24, the Secretariat disclosed that all relevant documentation on the project was submitted to Parliament last month.
“Thus, if Parliament so desires, it may set up a commission or appoint an independent auditor to review all issues concerning the award of contract, procurement, construction works, and financial operations of the National Cathedral project so far.”
It admitted the current financial difficulties, stressing that the project has come to a standstill.
In a statement, the Secretariat said “The project submitted all relevant documents on the project to Parliament in December 2022. Thus, if Parliament desires it may set up a commission or appoint an independent auditor to review all issues concerning the award of contracts, procurement, construction work and financial operations of the National Cathedral project.”
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