The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources says all institutions whose buildings were demolished to make way for the construction of the National Cathedral have been fully compensated by the state.

According to the Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, these institutions have been provided with alternative public lands for relocation.

Mr Jinapor said this when he was speaking in Parliament on Thursday, July 27.

A number of buildings were demolished to make way for the construction of the controversial National Cathedral.

Waterstone Realty Limited, a company that was affected has since sued the government.

But the Lands Minister told Parliament that the large piece of land on which the National Cathedral building is being constructed was acquired legitimately by the government.

He explained that some private institutions including Waterstone Realty Limited had an interest in the said land but the government has compensated them with alternative properties.

“Mr Speaker, the land on which the National Cathedral is being constructed, measuring approximately 16.26 acres, forms part of a large tract of land acquired by the state in 1910 by a certificate of title dated 29 September 1910.

“Mr Speaker, apart from the public institution that occupied the area, four private institutions had interest in the land in addition to the Embassy of the Republic of Mali. All these institutions have been provided with alternative public lands. The Embassy of the Republic of Mali and Waterstone Reality Limited have been relocated to airports,” he said.

Mr Jinapor added that “The Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) has been relocated to Roman Ridge. Numo Logistics Limited has been relocated to Cantonment and Comsys Limited has been relocated to East Ridge, thus, Mr. Speaker, all persons, both public and private, who were affected by the construction have been adequately compensated by way of alternative properties."

The Lands Minister noted that the National Cathedral does not fall under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

“The Ministry's only involvement in this project was the provision of land. For that purpose, the Ministry, through the Lands Commission, provided public land measuring approximately 16.26 acres and gave vacant possession of the land to the National Cathedral Secretariat. On this Mr. Speaker, the Ministry has no official information on the statues of the National Cathedral,” Mr Jinapor said.