Prince Adjei - Guy Gee
By Prince Adjei – Guy Gee
The forensic audit report on the National Cathedral project is reportedly ready and currently undergoing review by government. When it is finally released, Ghanaians will have a lot of questions. And the answers must not come from political party communicators alone.
This is a direct call to the Board of Trustees and the Secretariat of the National Cathedral.
You must be ready to respond.
For years, you have been silent. You left the defence of the project to NPP communicators on radio and TV, many of whom did not have the full facts, the documents, or the understanding of what really happened from day one. That created more confusion than clarity.
But you, the Trustees and Secretariat, know better.
You know:
1. How much was actually released by government
2. What it was used for
3. How contractors were procured
4. What architectural and consultancy fees were paid and why
5. What role the state played versus the church
6. Where the project stalled and what caused it
No party communicator knows this more than you.
Why You Must Not Be Silent Again
1. This was a sacred trust, not just a political project. You put your respected names – Archbishops, Presiding Bishops, Reverend Ministers – on it. You presented it as a national assignment from God. If there are questions about money, it is your moral credibility that is on the line, not that of a party foot soldier.
2. Silence will be interpreted as guilt. If the forensic report raises issues of procurement breaches, cost overruns, or payments for no work done, and you do not respond with documents and facts, the public will conclude the worst.
3. NPP communicators cannot defend theology and governance at the same time. A political party will defend the project politically. But the Cathedral was never sold to Ghanaians as a political project. It was sold as a spiritual and national covenant. Only the Board can explain that dimension.
What You Should Do Now – Before The Report Is Released
1. Reconvene immediately. Put aside denominational schedules. Hold an emergency internal review meeting.
2. Put your documents in order. Reconcile all financial statements, board minutes, approval letters, site reports and contractor agreements. Get your auditors to brief you.
3. Prepare a fact-based response team. Not a political team. A team of your own – Trustees, project managers, accountants and lawyers who worked on the project – who can respond point by point to whatever findings come out.
4. Be prepared to apologize where necessary. If the report finds administrative lapses, cost overruns or judgment errors, Ghanaians will respect an honest acknowledgment more than a combative denial. An apology is not a betrayal of God.
5. Be prepared to account. If your hands are clean, show the evidence. If there were excesses by others outside your control, say it clearly with facts.
Ghanaians are not against God, nor are they against a National Cathedral in principle. What they are against is lack of accountability, especially when public funds are involved in a period of economic hardship.
The forensic report is coming. When it does, the Board must not hide behind press statements issued by others, or behind silence.
You initiated this. You led it. You asked Ghanaians to believe in it.
Now, you must be ready to answer for it.
The nation is listening.
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