BY Issah Olegor
President John Dramani Mahama has renewed his bold pledge to transform Ghana to a level where no future administration can undo the reforms and institutional changes his government intends to implement.
The President made the declaration during a courtesy call by the Christian Council of Ghana at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, November 18, 2025—an engagement that also revived national debates surrounding governance, transparency, and the controversial National Cathedral project.
Mahama’s Vision
Addressing the Council, President Mahama said his mandate from the Ghanaian people was clear: to set the country on a path of development that would be impossible for any administration to reverse.
“My mission is to use the mandate Ghanaians have given me to move Ghana to a level where anybody who comes after cannot reverse the gains that we have made,” he declared.
Citing nations engulfed in prolonged conflict due to decades of weak institutions and poor governance, the President stressed the need for durable national systems—particularly in areas of anti-corruption enforcement, economic stabilization, and public accountability.
Since assuming office in January 2025, Mahama’s administration has launched a series of corruption-related probes into former officials, while implementing measures aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability after years of fiscal strain.
National Cathedral
The President also addressed the longstanding saga surrounding the National Cathedral project—a symbol conceived by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that has since become one of the most divisive national undertakings.
The Christian Council urged government to reaffirm commitment to the project, but under stricter transparency and wider stakeholder participation.
The Council’s recommendations included:
1. Renewing national commitment to the Cathedral.
2. Broadening funding beyond the state to churches, private partners, and international contributors.
3. Transforming the facility into a truly interdenominational national symbol
President Mahama confirmed that his administration had commissioned a forensic audit, after an earlier audit ordered by the Board of Trustees raised red flags about financial irregularities, procurement concerns, and questionable payments.
“There is a normal audit where you choose your auditor. Then there is a forensic audit. I directed that a forensic audit be conducted. We want to know what happened,” he said.
The earlier Deloitte & Touche audit—made public by Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu—found that nearly $97 million in public funds had been sunk into the project, with little visible progress besides an excavation site. The audit highlighted irregular payments, including:
GHS 4.9 million to Sir David Adjaye & Associates without full documentation.
Over $523,000 to a U.S. fundraising firm after its contract had expired.
A mysterious GHS 2.6 million loan repayment to JNS Talent Centre Ltd, linked to former board member Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng.
Though the Board of Trustees disputed the government’s interpretation, accusing officials of selectively quoting the audit’s “Management Letter,” President Mahama dissolved the Board in July 2025 and shut down the Cathedral Secretariat on May 1, 2025.
The President reaffirmed his personal belief in a national place of worship but underscored the need for consensus and affordability.
“At this time and age, with all the problems we have, $400 million to build a cathedral is excessive,” he stated.
He hinted at a more modest, multi-denominational national worship centre suitable for events like national thanksgiving services.
Legal Battles
The Cathedral controversy is also playing out in court. Private citizen Jonathan Amable’s constitutional challenge, filed in 2024, argues that government financing of the project violated Article 179(11) because funds were allegedly drawn illegally from the Consolidated Fund.
Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine has rejected the claims, arguing before the Supreme Court that the payments were authorised under the Contingency Vote—a legitimate budgetary allocation approved by Parliament.
The AG further asserted that the National Cathedral is fully state-owned and that Parliament had been regularly informed about its financing since 2018.
Amable’s suit also challenges other financial actions by the former administration, including the controversial $10 billion COVID-19 Relief Bond.
The AG maintains that the bond fell within lawful emergency fiscal measures.
Governance Reforms
President Mahama’s comments come against a backdrop of ongoing investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) into alleged financial impropriety relating to the Cathedral.
