The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on Thursday, June 2, 2022; published a letter alleging that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo through his Finance Minister had authorized the release of GH¢25 million for the construction of the National Cathedral. According to him, the release projected insensitivity on the part of a government that had failed to honour monthly payment of stipends to a category of workers amid the current economic challenges the country is facing. Attached to his post was a document dated March 31, 2022, signed by the Minister for Finance Ken Ofori-Atta with the title “Seed Money for the construction of the National Cathedral. “Authority is hereby granted you to release the sum of 25,000,000.00 (Twenty-Five Million Ghana Cedis) as additional seed money to the National Cathedral Secretariat for the construction of the National Cathedral for part payment of outstanding claims from RIBADE Limited,” portions of the document Ablakwa shared read.
Ablakwa fires seven questions begging for answers Ablakwa in a press conference, the same day, disclosed that the Minority in Parliament was going to demand some answers on the said release.
He also served notice that more revelations will be made in respect of the payments made towards the project.
In his final social media post on the evening of Thursday, the lawmaker posed seven questions he said the government had failed to address with respect to the release of the said funds. His questions bordered on the processes leading to the release, why and how Parliament was bypassed, the failure to obey the procurement process, from which allocation of the funds was drawn and the propriety of such payment in these times.
Read Ablakwa’s full post below: So far, government has been unable to answer the following questions on the GHS25million scandalous release for Akufo-Addo’s national cathedral:
1) Which budget contains the allocation?
2) When did Parliament approve the said allocation?
3) How much of taxpayer funds have been released prior to this 31st March, 2022 instruction from Ken Ofori-Atta, particularly when he indicates that the staggering GHS25million is “additional seed money”?
4) How much in total is the taxpayer expected to contribute?
5) Why is government not complying with the procurement law? 6) Why is there no parliamentary approval for the international companies government has contracted as Article 181 (5) of the 1992 Constitution demands? 7) How is this project a priority at this time considering our economic predicament and governments inability to meet its numerous obligations to the suffering citizenry?
One really wonders if God will ever answer any prayer made in this controversial cathedral being erected on the foundations of deception, opacity and insensitivity.
We shall be making public more damning documents tomorrow afternoon — do stay tuned.
If ever any project requires truth, sincerity, purity and fidelity to the law — it must be this one.
For God and Country.
Credit: ghanaweb.com