National Cathedral: Akufo-Addo Illegally Pays Ghc32million to David Adjaye

The North Tongu Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed that the Akufo-Addo government in 2021 paid Ajaye and Associates, the UK-based company contracted to build the controversial National Cathedral, a staggering Ghc32 million in consultancy fees on the blind side of the Ghanaian Parliament.

The revelation, which is carried in a social media post by the MP, indicates that the money was a small part of many other payments to the company.

“Documents from the Office of the President confirm that in 2021 alone, Prez Akufo-Addo authorised an astonishing GHC32million of taxpayer funds to be paid to Sir David Adjaye & Associates Ltd for consultancy on his National Cathedral project. GHS57million so far; more to come” Mr. Ablakwa tweeted.

Already, Ghanaians have been blasting the government for recently releasing Ghc25million to the National cathedral secretariat as additional seed money for the project which has provoked anger.

Following the release, the Minority in Parliament has been revealing that it has no knowledge of the expenditure and that that payment had not been budgeted for.

The Minority said it is not even aware of the procurement processes that were followed in the release of the funds.

But the government claims that it was budgeted for and that the Minority is unnecessarily creating controversy.

“MPs have not approved all of these colossal sums of money that are being released to companies we are seeing for the first time. We are not even aware of the procurement processes that were followed for these companies and these consultants, who are today receiving hundreds of millions of Ghana cedis,” Mr. Ablakwa said at a press conference on Thursday, June 2.

However, according to a Deputy Finance Minister, the “misinterpretation and the spin that the Minority is putting on it [National Cathedral] is what is creating the issues. This GH¢25 million contribution is also a payment to the priority project of the government and they [Minority] don’t determine what is a priority for President Akufo-Addo and his government,” he said in an interview with Joy.

It is unclear why the National Cathedral is a “priority project” when President Akufo-Addo has clearly stated that it was his personal pledge to his God while in opposition

Investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has taken a dig at the Akufo-Addo government, saying the ongoing back story of lies surrounding the project will surely make it repulsive to God.

Source: whatsupnewsghana