Mahama: National Cathedral Should Have Gone Through Nationwide Dialogue Before Launch

President John Mahama says the controversies surrounding the National Cathedral could have been avoided if the previous government had sought broad national input before pushing the project into motion.

Addressing the Christian Council during a meeting at the Presidency on Tuesday, November 18, the President said a project of such magnitude should have been shaped by collective decision-making rather than unilateral action.

According to him, the idea of a national, interdenominational worship centre is not inherently problematic, but the process leading to its launch ignored the voices of the very people it was meant to represent.
“I support the vision of creating a common place of worship,” Mr. Mahama said. “But something of this scale must involve all of us, we must agree on its purpose, its scope, and importantly, its cost.”

He noted that inclusive consultations would have built trust, ensured transparency, and created a sense of shared ownership, instead of the confusion and suspicion that later overshadowed the project.

Mr. Mahama reaffirmed his long-standing support for faith-based development, pointing out that he has personally facilitated the construction of ten rural temples for the Assemblies of God Church as part of efforts to strengthen religious infrastructure at the community level.

The National Cathedral, first announced under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was conceived as a national Christian monument and a space for major state religious events. Its initial cost of about US$100 million ballooned amid delays, cost variations, and growing calls for accountability.

Public pressure intensified in late 2024 when CHRAJ requested a forensic audit of the project and signalled the possibility of prosecutions. Although the Cathedral’s Board referenced a Deloitte audit that found no financial misdemeanours up to December 2020, the project has effectively stalled as governance concerns continue to hang over its future.