Collapsed vision: Deloitte audit reveals overlapping roles, questionable contracts in National Cathedral scandal

The vision of a unifying religious monument for Ghana has unravelled into a web of overlapping contracts, financial opacity, and questionable dealings, as uncovered by an independent audit conducted by Deloitte and Touche.

A central theme in the findings was the duplication of roles and payment of large sums to multiple entities for similar work. 

The Nehemiah Group, led by Mr. Cary Summers, allegedly received over $675,000 for coordination and fundraising, including $110,630.56 for two events in the US that yielded no donations. Yet at the same time, another firm, Kubik Maltbie, was paid $592,500 for overlapping responsibilities.

“This apparent lack of clarity in the delineation of responsibilities reflects poorly on project oversight and resource management,” Minister for Government Communication Felix Kwakye Ofosu stated at a press briefing today in Accra.

The audit also flagged multiple unsupported payments. In one instance, GH₵117,180 was allegedly disbursed to the Board Secretary for accommodation in January 2022 without any documentation. Similarly, GH₵20,000 was approved for blogger and media payments with no evidence of service rendered or refund of remaining funds.

Moreover, an unaccounted GH₵292,681 out of GH₵349,847 allocated to a Biblical Museum symposium has raised alarms over internal governance.

“The absence of receipts or accountability for these funds suggests weak internal controls,” Kwakye Ofosu said.

The government has since announced legal steps to dissolve the project’s board and terminate all remaining contracts.