This is a crime: MP shares details of expenditure on National Cathedral

The Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has accused the government of committing crimes in its implementation of the Nationals Cathedral of Ghana project.

The MP made remarks while reacting to a document purported to be a portion of the 2023 budget, which showed a breakdown of the expenditure on the Cathedral project so far.

“With respect to the total amount expended on the National Cathedral, the Cathedral Secretariat can provide the details of payments made. Total releases made by this Ministry, however, as of 31 March 2022 stand at GHS339,003,064.86 (Three hundred and thirty-nine million and three thousand and sixty-four Ghana Cedis eighty-six Ghana pesewas).

“With regards to the amount paid to the consulting firm, Messes Sir David Adjaye and Associates in relation to the Cathedral project, releases made by the Ministry is in the total amount of GHS113,040,564.86 (One hundred and thirteen million and forty thousand five hundred and sixty-four,” parts of the document read.

Reacting to this in a tweet shared on Monday, December 5, 2022, Dafeamekpor said that the details of the expenditure on the Cathedral show nothing but a crime.

The MP was particularly bemused by the over $19 million cost of the architectural design of the Cathedral.

“The NATIONAL CATHEDRAL EXPENDITURE details are: Mobilization to Architect: $89k. Cost of Arch. Design: $19.53m. Fin support to NC Sect: $25m.

“Cost of actual Construction: $13.51m. Total: $58.14m (Conversion rate: 5.8 to $1). THIS IS BEYOND A SCANDAL. THIS IS A CRIME. PURE & SIMPLE,” parts of the MP’s tweet read.

View the tweet shared by the MP plus the breakdown of expenditure of the Cathedral project below:

The NATIONAL CATHEDRAL EXPENDITURE details are:

1.Mobilization to Architect:$89k

2.Cost of Arch. Design:$19.53m

3.Fin support to NC Sect:$25m

4.Cost of actual Construction:$13.51m. Total:$58.14m (Conversion rate: 5.8 to $1) THIS IS BEYOND A SCANDAL. THIS IS A CRIME. PURE & SIMPLE pic.twitter.com/WO1LqGOZE2

— Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq. MP. (@etsedafeamekpor) December 5, 2022