Two of Ghana’s most influential religious leaders, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and Reverend Eastwood Anaba, have resigned from the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana.
The two cited a lack of audit of the public funds contributed to the project.
In a letter addressed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, dated October 12, 2023, the two clergymen expressed their regret and stated that their resignation was a matter of conscience and faith.
They said they had submitted a draft resolution to the Board of Trustees in January 2023, calling for an independent accounting firm to audit all public funds donated to the National Cathedral, and to defer all activities until the findings were made public.
However, they claimed that no such audit had been conducted or reported to them since then.
The letter read: “Despite our prayers, best hopes and wishes, unfortunately, a needed audit to help restore public confidence and trust in this consequential project has not been enacted to the best of our knowledge.”
“We, therefore, regret that as a matter of conscience and faith, we hereby submit to you our resignation from the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral.”
The letter also affirmed their support for the vision of the National Cathedral, which they described as a “sacred space and infrastructure” for formal religious and other activities in the nation.
They thanked the president for the opportunity to serve the nation and assured him of their prayers and best wishes.
The National Cathedral of Ghana is a project initiated by President Akufo-Addo in 2017, with the aim of building a national monument that would symbolize Ghana’s unity, heritage, and spirituality.
The project has faced some controversies and criticisms over its funding, location, design, and necessity.
The construction of the cathedral is expected to be completed by 2024, in time for Ghana’s 65th anniversary of independence.