Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Founder and General Overseer of United Denominations of Action Chapel Churches Worldwide, and Rev. Eastwood Anaba, President of Eastwood Anaba Ministries, have resigned from the Board of Trustees overseeing the construction of Ghana’s National Cathedral.
The National Cathedral, a project started to serve as a national place of worship and a symbol of togetherness and pride for Ghanaians, has been the topic of debate and controversy from its conception.
In a joint statement, Archbishop Duncan-Williams and Reverend Anaba said that the decision to retire was prompted by the government’s refusal to engage an independent accounting firm to audit all public funds contributed to the National Cathedral.
“Despite our prayers, best hopes and wishes, unfortunately, a needed audit to help restore public confidence and trust in this consequential project has not been enacted to the best of our knowledge. Since January 2023, we awaited news to no avail, regarding the finding of the audit.
“We, therefore, regret that as a matter of conscience and faith, we hereby submit to you our resignation from the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral.”
In January 2023, two respectable clerics demanded that building of the National Cathedral be halted immediately awaiting an audit of the project.
In a letter to the Board of Trustees, the two eminent clergymen also claimed that the current economic condition in Ghana made timely completion of the project difficult, therefore the request for its suspension until the country’s economic fortunes improve.
“The current economic climate in Ghana presents obstacles to the timely construction and completion of the National Cathedral… We, therefore, resolve: That in the spirit and cause of transparency and accountability to the Ghanaian people, the current Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral shall appoint an independent, nationally recognized accounting firm to audit all public funds contributed to and spent by the National Cathedral,” the two clergymen said in a memo.
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, the creator and leader of the Lighthouse Chapel International, resigned from the National Cathedral project’s Board of Trustees in August 2022.
The revered Bishop, in a resignation letter addressed to theChairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral and copied to about 14 people, including the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, expressed disappointment in the National Cathedral leadership for ignoring concerns he raised in several letters he wrote to them, the most recent of which was in June 2022 through the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference.
“I believe that the handling of the issues I raised in my various letters has been unfortunate.” My letters have previously been neglected; unanswered for years, and at best treated casually.”
“You may recall that I have spoken and written extensively about the costs, the design, the location, the fundraising, church mobilisation, and the role of the trustees.” These, if followed, would have made our proposal more feasible. In general, my contributions, thoughts, and letters have been minimised and ignored.”
