Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and Eastwood Anaba have resigned from their positions on the Board of Trustees responsible for overseeing the construction of the National Cathedral in Ghana.
The National Cathedral, a project aimed at serving as a unifying national place of worship and a source of pride for the Ghanaian people, has been a topic of discussion and controversy since its inception. In a joint statement issued by Archbishop Duncan-Williams and Reverend Anaba, they cited the government’s failure to appoint an independent accounting firm to conduct an audit of all public funds contributed towards the National Cathedral as the reason for their resignation.
“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. Since January 2023, we awaited news to no avail, regarding the finding of the audit.
“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.”
In January 2023, two esteemed clergymen issued a formal request to the Board of Trustees, urging for an immediate halt to the construction of the National Cathedral.
Their call was predicated upon the necessity for an audit of the project. Additionally, the clergymen highlighted the prevailing economic conditions in Ghana, emphasizing that the current climate renders it unfeasible to achieve timely completion of the project. Consequently, they advocated for the suspension of construction until such time as the economic fortunes of the country improve.
“The current economic climate in Ghana presents obstacles to the timely construction and completion of the National Cathedral… We, therefore, resolve That in the spirit and cause of transparency and accountability to the Ghanaian people, the current Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral shall appoint an independent, nationally recognized accounting firm to audit all public funds contributed to and spent by the National Cathedral,” the two clergymen said in a memo.
