Daniel Yaw Domelevo, a former Auditor-General, has reemphasised the need to protect the public purse, highlighting on the importance to do so with the constitution.
According to Domelevo, managing the public purse has nothing to do with theology but rather the laws.
The former Auditor-General was commenting on the National Cathedral controversy which involves a Board of Trustees made up of members of the clergy. The project, after the government committing over US$58 into it is still in its foundation stage.
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in a report released after an investigation on the project in November 2024, recommended a forensic audit and potential prosecution of the trustees of the National Cathedral project.
The probe followed allegations of corruption and abuse of power regarding the controversial project filed at the Commission by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Speaking at an event on curbing illicit financial flows in Ghana, Mr. Domelevo said it is unfortunate that those in charge of the cathedral are all men of God, adding that theology and state funds have nothing in common.
“Unfortunately, the trustees are all men of God, but let me say we don’t manage public funds with the Bible or theology; we manage public funds with the constitution,” he stated.
The Banking and Finance expert also expressed the need to use other laws such as the Public Procurement Act and the Internal Audit Act to manage State funds instead and “not the Bible.”
He stressed that the board members should have obeyed the laws and not the Bible, arguing that the Bible “cannot save you this time.”
Mr. Domelevo was speaking at a Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) forum organised on Tuesday, December 03, 2024.
A report issued by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on the National Cathedral project revealed that the board of trustees mismanaged a sum of GHC2.6 million, which they could not account for.
The report recommended that the Auditor General conduct a forensic investigation into the scandal and consider possible prosecution of the board members involved.
Despite the cathedral being at its foundation level, over US$50 million has been spent on the project, resulting in a significant loss to the state.
The National Cathedral is a promise made by the president, Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to construct the facility to honour God if He made him win the 2016 election.
National Cathedral project: We must demand a refund of $58m – Ablakwa
