President John Mahama has ordered an independent forensic audit into Ghana’s controversial National Cathedral project, as part of a broader anti-corruption initiative aimed at restoring public trust in state institutions and governance.
Delivering a national address on Wednesday, May 7, to mark his first 120 days in office, Mahama announced that global consultancy firm Deloitte has been commissioned to undertake the audit, with findings expected by the end of the month.
“The war against corruption continues unabated,” President Mahama said. “Deloitte and Touche is conducting an independent audit of the National Cathedral project. I expect their report by the end of this month.”
The National Cathedral, a flagship religious infrastructure initiative under the previous Akufo-Addo administration, has drawn sharp criticism over fiscal opacity and cost overruns. An estimated $58 million is reported to have already been expended on the project, despite stalled progress.
The audit forms part of a wider probe into public spending under the former government. President Mahama revealed that additional forensic audits have been launched into several high-profile cases, including:
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A review by the Health Ministry of the Auditor General’s report on COVID-19 expenditure;
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Ongoing investigations into the procurement of Sputnik-V vaccines;
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A Finance Ministry inquiry into the collapse of indigenous banks and financial institutions;
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A review by the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition into the PDS power concession scandal.
“As promised, my commitment to fighting corruption is not limited to recovering loot from past appointees; we will also ensure that our appointees serve Ghana responsibly and are held to the highest accountability standards,” the President stated.