Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has argued that completing Ghana’s abandoned or unfinished Agenda 111 hospital projects would have been a better use of public funds than constructing the National Cathedral.
Dr. Ayine made the remarks while commenting on renewed calls and discussions surrounding the National Cathedral project, which was initiated under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
According to him, the country’s priority should be investments that directly improve access to essential public services, particularly healthcare.
“It is better to complete Agenda 111 than to spend money on a National Cathedral,” Dr. Ayine said.
He noted that there had recently been a resurgence in advocacy and public messaging about the National Cathedral from prominent religious figures.
“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you may laugh, but there has been a resurgence in messaging about the National Cathedral by very eminent religious people,” he said.
Dr. Ayine further raised concerns about the manner in which funds were allegedly spent on the National Cathedral project.
He disclosed that a report prepared by professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) had been presented to him, and suggested that the findings raised questions about the financial management of the project.
“The money that was spent on the National Cathedral, from the report of PwC that was presented to me just last Friday—and Mr. President, I’m sorry about this because I have not briefed you on it yet, but I have the report,” he stated.
The Attorney General said the circumstances surrounding the project warranted scrutiny, particularly regarding the expenditure incurred in its development.
“You don’t build a house of God in the manner in which they went about it,” he added.
Agenda 111 was introduced under the Akufo-Addo administration as a major healthcare infrastructure programme aimed at constructing hospitals across districts in Ghana that did not have hospitals.
The programme became one of the previous administration’s flagship projects, with government announcing plans to construct hospitals in districts across the country, alongside additional regional and specialised facilities.
However, several of the projects have remained incomplete, prompting calls from various stakeholders for the government to review the programme and prioritise the completion of projects that can immediately serve communities.
Dr. Ayine’s comments therefore place the debate over the National Cathedral within the broader question of how limited public resources should be prioritised.
While proponents of the National Cathedral have presented it as a significant national religious and cultural project, critics have questioned the level of public expenditure committed to it, especially amid concerns over unfinished infrastructure and competing social needs.
The Attorney General’s reference to the PwC report could potentially add another dimension to the ongoing debate over the National Cathedral project.
Dr. Ayine indicated that he had only recently received the report and had not yet briefed President John Dramani Mahama on its contents at the time of his remarks.
He did not, in the statement provided, disclose specific figures from the report or detail the findings and recommendations contained in it.
His comments, however, suggest that the report may provide further information on expenditure associated with the project and could inform future discussions about accountability and the management of public funds.
The remarks are likely to renew public debate over whether the National Cathedral should continue to receive attention and resources, particularly at a time when the government is also confronted with demands to complete stalled infrastructure projects across the country.
For Dr. Ayine, the central issue is one of priorities: whether public resources should be directed towards projects with an immediate impact on citizens, such as healthcare infrastructure, rather than projects whose benefits are viewed primarily through religious or symbolic lenses.
The National Cathedral project has remained a politically and socially contentious issue in Ghana, with questions surrounding its financing, construction and management generating debate among politicians, religious leaders, civil society groups and the wider public.
Dr. Ayine’s latest comments are expected to add fresh momentum to that discussion, particularly following his disclosure that a PwC report on the project has been submitted to his office.
By 1960news.com
