Leaked Letter Shows National Cathedral Contractor Has Sacked Staff Due To Lack Of Payment

• A letter making rounds on social media seems to suggest that the contractor of the National Cathedral project has laid off staff due to a lack of funds
• The letter has been interpreted to mean that the project has halted due to the government's failure to fund it despite claims GH¢200 million has been paid to the contractor
• The leaked letter is coming at a time there is renewed controversy about the value of the project amid economic hardships

A letter making rounds on social media suggests that the contractor for the National Cathedral, RIBADE, has laid off some staff due to lack of payment.

The viral letter was first shared by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Ablakwa. The opposition MP added a caption to the letter that claims as many as 200 workers have been sacked. The letter, however, did not indicate that.

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Portions of the letter read as follows:

“Due to the lack of payment from the National Cathedral of Ghana which has resulted in the project being suspended, RIBADE COMPANY LTD is required under the contract to mitigate costs."

“In compliance with such an obligation under the contract, RIBADE COMPANY LTD has no option but to issue this letter of notice terminating the agreement between RIBADE COMPANY LTD and you as per the provisions of your employment agreement.

“This notice of termination takes effect on the 14th of March 2022 you are therefore requested to hand in all properties (i.e. safety equipment, etc) belonging to the company in your possession to the HR office by close of work of the same day.”

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Mr Ablakwa revealed further that his sources say the project contractors have been compelled to suspend work since March because of a lack of funds.

“They are all shocked at GH¢200million revelations,” he said in reference to claims that amount of money has already been spent on the controversial project.

The controversy about the cathedral project returned to the public discourse following revelations that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta directed the controller of state money to release of $25 million to RIBADE.

MPs on the Minority aisle in Parliament said the directive to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department was unlawful because it should have been approved by the Legislature. The MPs argue that the $25 million was not part of the funds approved for the finance minister in the 2022 budget.

Although the MPs have summoned the minister to appear in Parliament to answer questions he has not honoured it.

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Leaked Document Shows Ofori-Atta Ordered Release Of GH¢25M For Cathedral Project Without Parliament’s Approval

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a related story that a leaked memo from Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to the Controller and Accountant-General shows he ordered the release of GH¢25 million for the National Cathedral project without Parliament’s approval.

The leaked document is dated March 31, 2022, and sought to explain that the release of the funds would be to pay part of outstanding claims from a contractor, RIBADE Limited. The document has since been trending online.

The Minority has described the order from the minister as a major breach of the law. The opposition MPs insist Parliament had not given the green light for such a spending. The opposition lawmakers say the GH¢25 million was not even contained in the 2022 budget Mr Ofori-Atta presented to the Legislature last year.

Source: YEN.com.gh