Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the minister of state in charge of government communications, revealed that it is impossible to track down approximately GHÇ38 million in mobile money donations intended for the National Cathedral.
He claims that unsuccessful transfers and a lack of documentation regarding the money obtained for the project’s construction are to blame for this.
He clarified that this was discovered when the Auditor-General’s recent audit revealed numerous violations and financial irregularities in the transactions between the National Cathedral Secretariat and the Nehemiah Group, which was represented by Cary Summers.
Despite the contractor’s departure from the project site in March 2023, Kwakye Ofosu said during a news conference held at the Jubilee House on Friday, July 18, 2025, that payments to the group have continued to this day.
He pointed out that despite ceasing operations on the site, the Nehemiah Group was still paid USD 523,521.03, which was a blatant violation of contract governance procedures.
“Even though the contractor stopped work at the site in March 2023, payments have continued. This will impose significant costs on the state. Consequently, President Mahama has instructed the Attorney General to take legal steps to terminate this lopsided contract to save public funds. After the forensic audit, decisive action will be taken regarding any impropriety, as well as the future of the project itself,” he stated.
Additionally, Kwakye Ofosu revealed that the Nehemiah Group was given an extra US$110,630.56 to plan fundraising activities in New York and Houston.
The audit found that these initiatives did not result in any investments or donations.
“This raises serious concerns about the prudence of expenditure and the absence of performance-based accountability,” he added.
The audit also found that the Nehemiah Group and a different subcontractor, Kubik Maltbie, had overlapping duties and payments.
Although Phase 1 of the project was coordinated and overseen by the Nehemiah Group, Kubik Maltbie was also hired for comparable services at a cost of US$592,500. This sum is around 87% of the US$675,000 that was paid to the Nehemiah Group over the same time period.
“This indicates a clear case of paying two entities for the same work, with no clarity on who was actually executing the tasks and who may have received government funds unjustifiably,” Kwakye Ofosu said.
Additionally, the audit flagged a further US$24,498.17
paid to the Nehemiah Group in reimbursable expenses for activities unrelated to construction oversight, highlighting further inefficiencies in the project’s financial management.
“These findings reflect poorly on project oversight and raise broader concerns about accountability and the effective use of public resources on a project of such national significance,” he emphasised.
Kwakye Ofosu gave the people his word that the government will take action based on the audit’s conclusions and guarantee complete accountability.
“The National Cathedral project is one of many being investigated under the ORAL Initiative. Once the forensic audit findings are finalized, they will add to the body of evidence under review. Based on the outcome, anyone found culpable will be held accountable,” he concluded.
During the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the National Cathedral was designed as a nondenominational Christian house of worship to act as a national center of prayer and solidarity.
