Ransford Edward Van Gyampo, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana, has asked President Akufo-Addo to cover the hole at the National Cathedral site with his presidential emolument, otherwise known as ex-gratia.
The Professor says the President should be surcharged for causing such financial loss to the State by expending public funds on the project which has left the State nothing but a hole which has now been turned into a “swimming pool“.
Prof. Gyampo has been telling Alfred Ocansey on the KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, October 05, 2024, that some of them have advocated for the President to be surcharged to reclaim the site for some time now, and he thinks it would be right for that to be effected after he leaves office in some few weeks.
“In fact, some of us have advocated that we surcharge President Akufo-Addo and use his own emoluments, retirement package, to seal and to reclaim the hole, the land, the place that has been destroyed,” he stated.
According to him, the State must also institute a probe into the project after the President has been surcharged, to make all persons culpable to face the full rigours of the law.
“I’m saying we should use his own entitlement, emolument to cover that hole that has been created while we sit down to determine, identify who is culpable for legal suit, for having caused financial loss to the state,” he added.
He expressed worry over the fact that the project would not be continued by any future government since this administration cannot complete it in the next two months before leaving office.
“And so my worry is that, it cannot be done in less than two months. And there is absolutely no way a new government would want to continue it,” remarked the Professor.
The National Cathedral Ghana project is a promise made by President Akufo-Addo to personally construct a cathedral to honour God if He made him win the 2016 elections.
He said the project was going to be funded by the private sector since it is not a State project and was not factored in any of the government’s budget.
Meanwhile, government has since 2018, expended a whooping US$58 million on the project which is still in its foundation stage, with the site now turned into what others have described as a swimming pool.
An estimated $450 million is needed to complete the project and it is not clear if that amount is yet available to complete the construction.
By mid-2022, various church denominations had contributed GH¢2.21 million ($164,000) towards the construction of the national cathedral. Though a large sum, the amount is not sufficient on its own to pay the remaining costs of construction.
National Cathedral: ‘…do not put out your own interpretation’ – Ablakwa to Board on Deloitte audit