By Iddi Yire
Accra, Aug. 04, GNA – Parliament is to constitute a bipartisan Committee to conduct an enquiry into the National Cathedral project and make appropriate recommendations for the consideration of the House.
Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the Second Deputy Speaker, presiding, gave the directive following the House’s adoption of a Motion moved by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, requesting the House to constitute a Committee to conduct an enquiry into the National Cathedral project and make appropriate recommendations for the consideration of the august House.
The Second Deputy Speaker directed the Leadership of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Majority and the leadership of the opposition NDC Minority to submit the names of their members for the composition of the bipartisan Committee.
Mr Ablakwa in moving the Motion, reiterated that the Motion was a very important one and prayed that the House would approve it under Order 191.
Order 191 provides that the House may at any time by Motion appoint a Special or Ad Hoc Committee investigation any matter of public importance.
“Mr Speaker, the National Cathedral project of Ghana is potentially the most expensive project in the history of Ghana,” he said.
“Already, Mr Speaker, as we speak this project has ballooned from an initial hundred million dollars to four hundred million dollars and is still rising.
“So, far, Mr Speaker, about $58 million has been spent on the project, and what we see, Mr Speaker, has become a subject of considerable controversy, we only see a hole and we are not too sure, really if it is $58 million that has gone into the project.”
He said the project had been abandoned since March 2022.
He said the cost of the construction of the National Cathedral construction project continues to go up and that there were liabilities, interests, and substantive claims, which on its own, runs to about $52 million, by his checks.
He said the National Cathedral project had led to the demolition of some buildings such as the Passport Office, the Scholarship Secretariat, judge’s bungalows, the Judicial Training Institute, and the Malian Ambassador’s residence.
He added that currently, there were all kinds of compensation claims being made, which were running to hundreds of millions of dollars.
He said the Nation’s Cathedral project was a major issue and that some eminent personalities on the Board had already resigned.
He said there was the need for the House to constitute a special committee to look into the matter of the National Cathedral construction project because it was about the public purse and scarce national resources; saying, “so, that we can get to the bottom, unravel the mysteries and learn lessons,”
GNA