President John Mahama has announced that his administration will reassess the controversial National Cathedral project, which has been marred by controversy under the previous administration.

According to Mr Mahama, his administration will review the cost of the entire project and seek funding for its construction.

“This project must be completed at a reasonable cost. Given the current circumstances that Ghana is facing, it makes no sense to undertake such a project at a whooping sum of $400 million. I am informed that the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja, which serves all Christian denominations in Nigeria, was built at a cost of $30 million. I believe we can achieve this project at a much more reasonable figure, and together, we can raise the necessary funds,” he said.

The president, speaking at his first National Prayer and Thanksgiving Service in Accra on Sunday, January 12, added that if his government decides to continue the project, the location will also be reconsidered.

“Such a reconsideration of this project might even include changing the current site that was chosen for the project,” he said.

Mr Mahama further emphasised that state funds would not be used for the project, stating, “On the future of the project, the Cathedral, I believe that all of us, as Christians, must forge a consensus on how to achieve this project without recourse to public funds.”

The construction of the Cathedral was started by President Akufo-Addo to fulfill a promise he claims to have made to God before winning the 2016 elections.

He assured Ghanaians that it would not be funded with public money, but it later emerged that the state, through the then Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, had allocated public funds for its construction.

The project faced further setbacks when some members of the Board of Trustees, who were men of faith, were accused of inappropriate conduct, leading to delays in the completion of the building, which is located in the heart of Accra.

Amidst the controversies, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) investigated the matter and recommended that the Auditor-General conduct a forensic audit to determine what went wrong and, if necessary, prosecute those found to be responsible for any wrongdoing.