President John Dramani Mahama has rejected the use of taxpayers’ money to fund the stalled National Cathedral project, arguing that Ghana’s Christian community has the numbers and resources to raise the funds needed to complete it.
Speaking during a citizens’ engagement in Wa on Saturday, September 12, 2026, President Mahama said he had no objection to the construction of a national cathedral, noting that he is a practising Christian.
However, he insisted the project should be treated differently from other policies inherited from the previous administration that he had pledged to continue.
According to the President, the National Cathedral began as a personal commitment by the former president and was not an official state policy.
“My second problem was that we shouldn’t use taxpayers’ money,” he said.
President Mahama maintained that Ghana’s large Christian population is capable of mobilising the resources required to finish the project.
“If we all pay a thousand cedis each, we should be able to construct a national cathedral,” he said.
He drew a comparison with the National Mosque, which he said was built without government funding. Ghana’s Muslim community, he noted, secured support from a Turkish Muslim non-governmental organisation to construct the mosque.
President Mahama also raised concerns about the cathedral’s proposed location in central Accra.
He pointed out that the area already hosts several major public institutions and facilities, including Parliament, the International Conference Centre, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and the National Theatre. Placing the cathedral there, he argued, would “constrict” the available space.
He further questioned the scale of demolitions carried out to clear the site. These included the demolition of 10 judges’ residences, the residence of the Malian ambassador (which he said has yet to be replaced), the old passport office and other properties.
On the financial side, President Mahama disclosed that almost $90 million had already been spent on the National Cathedral. He said a forensic audit into the expenditure has been completed and is currently with the Attorney-General.
The President indicated that he intends to share a copy of the audit report with the Christian Council of Ghana for review. This, he explained, would allow the Council to examine how the funds were spent and determine whether any corrective action is necessary.
