President John Mahama has said the previous government should have sought broad national consultation before initiating the controversial National Cathedral project.

Addressing the Christian Council during a courtesy call at the Presidency on Tuesday, November 18, Mr Mahama argued that such a major undertaking required the input and consent of the general public.

"And so, I do believe in building an interdenominational place where we can worship, but it must be done in consultation with all of us. All of us must decide on how we want to do it, what the scope is, and how much it should cost," he told the clergy society.

He noted that transparent engagement would have ensured wider ownership and avoided the tension that has since surrounded the project.

While emphasising the need for accountability in national ventures, Mr Mahama reaffirmed his own commitment to supporting Christian institutions.

He disclosed that he has facilitated the construction of 10 rural temples for the Assemblies of God Church across the country, underscoring his belief in strengthening religious infrastructure.

Watch his engagement with the Christian Council below;

The National Cathedral of Ghana is a proposed interdenominational Christian cathedral to be located in Accra, Ghana.

Announced during former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's tenure, the project was conceived as a national place of worship and civic monument to mark Ghana's post-independence identity.

Initial public communications cited a project cost in the order of US$100 million when the scheme was widely publicised.

Construction progressed only to preparatory works and site clearance; by late 2022 and into 2024, the project had been effectively paused amid public scrutiny, cost escalations and calls for audits.

In late 2024, CHRAJ recommended a forensic audit and possible prosecution; the Board published a response citing a Deloitte statutory audit (to 31 December 2020) with no adverse findings and signalled readiness to resume, subject to resolution of governance issues.