Newly elected Ghanaian President John Mahama has announced plans to investigate his predecessor’s controversial $400 million National Cathedral project, which has faced significant criticism.
The stalled religious landmark has been branded by critics as a symbol of fiscal irresponsibility. Mahama and his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), won the December election after voters ousted President Nana Akufo-Addo and his ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) over allegations of economic mismanagement and rising living costs.
The National Cathedral, initially envisioned by Akufo-Addo as a tribute to God for his 2016 electoral victory, was originally promoted as a privately funded initiative. However, it has been reported that $58 million of public funds were spent, prompting accusations of financial misconduct and public outrage.
In response to the growing controversy, Ghana’s Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) recommended an audit of the project late last year, citing procurement violations.
“We will soon begin an investigation,” Mahama said during a thanksgiving service earlier this week.
While Mahama has not ruled out completing the cathedral, he suggested that any future developments would be done in a more restrained manner, with an emphasis on accountability and national interests.
The cathedral project, planned for a 23,000 square meter site in central Accra, was designed to include a 5,000-seat auditorium, chapels, a baptistery, a choir school, an art gallery, and multipurpose spaces. However, three years after construction was halted, the site remains a vast, unfinished pit.
Some argue that the project played a role in Akufo-Addo and the NPP’s electoral defeat in December.
The suspension of the cathedral project comes amid Ghana’s ongoing economic crisis, marked by high inflation, growing debt, and dependence on a $3 billion IMF bailout for stabilization.
New Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson recently told Parliament that public funding for the cathedral had been stopped as part of broader efforts to reduce wasteful spending. “The government cannot justify using scarce resources for an unfinished project while Ghanaians struggle to meet basic needs,” he said.
