Deloitte’s report on the National Cathedral
By Dr. Ato Kwamena Danso · 20 July 2025 · Politics
I come to you once more, not with glad tidings, but with tales from the land of broken promises and vanishing funds. Nana Addo at the time as a presidential hopeful, after what felt like an eternal third try, made a divine vow to build a cathedral. A noble gesture, perhaps, until that promise transformed into an albatross around Ghana’s neck, one that has swallowed over 90 million dollars and, inexplicably, birthed nothing but a very expensive hole in the heart of Accra. A truly groundbreaking achievement, if you consider ground itself to be the final product. Dr. Kwabena Bomfe aka Kabila, a devout adventist, bless his observant heart, dared to suggest that the state might be getting a little too entangled in divine matters by funding a personal promise. The Supreme Court, in a swift and unanimous decision, declared that nothing, absolutely nothing, prohibits the government from such zealous religious patronage. Kabila's argument that Ghana was, in fact, a secular state where "excessive entanglement" with religion was a no-no, seems to have been lost in translation... or perhaps, simply ignored with divine authority. And yet, lo and behold! The Deloitte report has descended from the heavens, seemingly vindicating Kabila! It appears Karl Marx wasn't entirely off the mark with his "opium of the people" theory; sometimes, it's just really expensive opium. The government, in its infinite wisdom, decided a National Cathedral was a priority, displacing nine Court of Appeal justices and other judicial staff from their bungalows. We're yet to discuss the cost of demolition and relocation. They were, of course, temporarily relocated while 21 new bungalows were promised. The Deloitte report itself is less a report and more a damning indictment, practically screaming the point. We learn that the board secretary, Rev Kusi Boateng a man of remarkable foresight, managed to rent an apartment for $4,500 a month in Cantonments for several months, then billed the secretariat $3,000 a month in rent. His logic? He 'resided in Kumasi' and 'most of the work was done in Accra.' Apparently, a verbal nod of approval is all one needs to turn a modest rental into a lucrative, self-approved enterprise. Who needs parliamentary oversight when you have 'verbal approval'? And the financial miracles don't stop there! Nearly 40 million Ghana Cedis were supposedly collected via mobile money, yet roughly 39 million either "failed" or were "reversed," with the telecom companies suddenly developing amnesia. Ghana still owes the US-based Nehemiah Group over $155,000 for a Bible museum (after already shelling out $4.3 million), and we're still on the hook for over $1.8 million to Maltbie for the same museum! Plus, a casual $34 million is owed to various contractors and consultants. Adjaye Associates, the architectural masterminds behind this invisible wonder, have pocketed over 20 million dollars. All for a project where, as far as the naked eye can discern, nothing but a foundational hole exists. And these grand projects? Handed out without so much as a whisper to parliament. Clearly, transparency is a concept best left to architects and engineers, not government officials. This Deloitte exposé is truly a sad read, especially when one considers the conspicuous absence of an actual building to show for these exorbitant costs. We're still grappling with roads to connect our major cities, our youth face a desolate job market post-university, and our hospitals are crying out for equipment. Yet, somehow, in the grand scheme of national priorities, the needless squandering of state funds on this phantom cathedral took precedence. We have 99 problems, but finding a place of worship isn't one. We've become accustomed to these damning reports, haven't we, Osagyefo? And what is the presidential response? A forensic audit! As if the current report needs any more 'forensics' to declare it a catastrophic mess. Perhaps a good old-fashioned prosecution is in order? After all, when the PURC's report on ECG was equally damning, the solution wasn't accountability, but rather… a new levy to pay for their spectacular underperformance. I chuckled at the news of Kenya's desire to build a national cathedral. Hope, my dear Osagyefo, is indeed not a strategy. And yet, here we are. Ato_KD