Amid persistent rumours and accusations of financial misappropriation, stagnation and abandonment of the National Cathedral, the Executive Director of the project, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, has announced some strategic plans to address the concerns, as well as the allegations levelled against the secretariat.
According to him, these plans will ensure progress, and uphold transparency in the ambitious undertaking.
Dr. Opoku-Mensah, who was addressing the media on November 1, 2023, acknowledged that while there are controversies surrounding the National Cathedral project, the secretariat is committed to overcoming misinformation and ensuring accountability through a set of strategic measures.
“The way forward for the project involves three strategies, namely, defusing the controversial issues through audits, revamp the strategies of funding, and fundraising and changing the national conversation and narrative on the project, which is what I believe we are trying to do today,” he said.
In emphasising the need for accountability, Dr. Opoku-Mensah clarified that the Secretariat has initiated two ongoing audits.
He further stressed the readiness of the secretariat to provide all necessary documentation to parliament should they require it.
“In relation to the accountability, there are two audits ongoing and we have indicated that we have submitted all the documentation to parliament if they so wish,” he added.
Among other concerns, the Executive Director, Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah clarified that the allegations of conflict of interest and unexplained financial transactions, were reversed within two weeks after they were made.
“There have been other things about conflict of interest, payment of some GH¢2.6 million into a company belonging to one of the members of the board of trustees. We want to explain that the said amount in September to JNS Talent Centre Limited was really made and we transferred that money back to the trustee in less than two weeks. It was not a loan, he never got interested in it. This is one of the things about this project that we never wish had happened,” he added.
Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.
WN/AE
You can also watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below:
The stalled National Cathedral project