Duncan-Williams, Eastwood Anaba’s resolution to halt construction of Nat’l Cathedral was rejected – Secretariat

The National Cathedral Secretariat has stated that a resolution by two members of its Board of Trustees, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and Eastwood Anaba, for the construction of the cathedral to be halted was rejected.

In a statement issued on October 18, 2023, the secretariat said that the Board of Trustees rejected the resolution because of the explanation given by Archbishop and General Overseer of the Action Chapel International (ACI) Ministry, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and President of the Eastwood Anaba Ministries, Eastwood Anaba.

It said that the Duncan-Williams wanted the project to be halted because it would be used as a political tool for the 2024 elections which the board rejected.

“It needs to be stressed that the January 23, 2023 resolution of Archbishop Duncan Williams and Rev Eastwood Anaba was rejected by the Board on two grounds. First, their call for a complete cessation of all activity on the project until an audit was done, was redundant, as the meeting already had the audit on the agenda.

“Second, and perhaps more critical, their resolution was rejected because of its linkage to the 2024 elections. As Archbishop Duncan Williams explained it, the National Cathedral has become a "trusted weapon" in the hands of the opposition, which they intend to use as part of their 2024 election strategy. Explaining that he had seen "part of the game plan", he argued that unless the Board agrees to cease all work on the project until after the 2024 elections, the opposition will come after each of them, create divisions in the Board, and be relentless in their opposition to the project. This was rejected because of the undue politicization of the project complete cessation would entail,” parts of the statement reads.

Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and Eastwood Anaba, have resigned as members of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral.

In a joint statement to the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the esteemed clergymen cited their growing concerns about transparency and accountability within the project.

Background:

It can be recalled that a leaked memo by Archbishop Nicolas Duncan-Williams and Reverend Eastwood Anaba called for the construction of the National Cathedral project to be halted pending an independent audit.

Accra-based Joy FM published the memo which was dated January 23 and sent to the Board of Trustees, calling essentially for a halt and an independent audit of the project's expenditures.

“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 recognised accounting firm to audit all public funds contributed to and spent by the National Cathedral.

“Auditors will also audit the overall cost of the project. This appointment of an auditor shall take place before the deferment of activities of the Board of Trustees,” excerpts of the memo said.

BAI/AW

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