Two renowned clergymen, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and Reverend Eastwood Anaba, have officially resigned from their positions on the Board of Trustees overseeing the construction of the National Cathedral in Ghana.
This decision comes amid mounting controversy surrounding the ambitious project, which was envisioned to become a symbol of unity and a place of worship for Ghanaians.
The National Cathedral project, from its inception, has been a subject of debate and public controversy, and the recent resignations of these respected religious figures have further deepened the crisis.
In a joint statement released by Archbishop Duncan-Williams and Reverend Anaba, they cited the government’s failure to appoint an independent accounting firm to audit all public contributions to the project as the primary reason for their resignations.
The statement read, “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 our resignation from the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral.”
The two clergymen had previously called for the suspension of the project in January 2023 until an audit was carried out, citing concerns about the economic climate in Ghana and the project’s completion timeline. They emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability, urging the Board of Trustees to appoint an independent, nationally recognized accounting firm to conduct the audit of all public funds allocated for the National Cathedral.
This recent development follows the resignation of Bishop Dag Heward-Mills from the Board of Trustees in August 2022. In his resignation letter, Bishop Heward-Mills expressed his disappointment with the leadership of the National Cathedral project for ignoring concerns he had raised in multiple letters, the latest being in June 2022 through the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference.
The resignations of these prominent clergymen have further cast a shadow on the future of the National Cathedral project, which was intended to be a significant symbol of unity and pride for the people of Ghana.
