National Cathedral: Sir David Adjaye Breaks Silence On Allegations Of Hidden Deals In Project Construction

• Sir David Adjaye has dismissed claims that the National Cathedral project is mired in opacity and underhand dealings
• He wants Ghanaians debating the construction of the project to do so based on facts alone
• The renowned Ghanaian-British architect made the comments on the sidelines of the Black Star Line Festival Summit in Accra

The renowned Ghanaian-British architect who designed the now-controversial National Cathedral for the Nana Akufo-Addo government has said there is nothing hidden about the project.

Sir David Adjaye has said suggestions that his firm Adjaye Associates is making undue gains from the project construction are also fake news.

He told Joy News that while it is good for anyone to have an opinion and speak on any national issue, it is utterly unacceptable to speak without facts.

“Things should be allowed to be investigated and checked till everybody feels comfortable. There is nothing hidden or opaque, everything is going through the system that can be checked through the government,” he is quoted in a report.

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According to the report, he made the comments on the sidelines of the Black Star Line Festival Summit that started on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Apart from controversies about the timing of the construction of the cathedral project, there have been strong public sentiments against how government plans to fund it and the total cost of $400 million.

David Adjaye and his firm were bashed when government disclosed that the government paid them GHȼ113 million ($11 million) for consultation.

Many felt the fee paid for Sir David Adjaye as a consultant is too high, especially when initial figures provided by government was GHȼ32 million.

Meanwhile, speaking to Joy News, David Adjaye further said it was “boring” for people to make comments on the project based on unfounded investigations.

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“What is really sad and boring is when people just make accusations based on anything, that is not actually investigating. Fake investigations really reflect badly on the people who are investigating. I think all the information is in the public realm and people are ignoring to look at the information and are saying things that are counter to what is out there in the public realm,” he said.

Work Suspended On Controversial Project Over Lack Of Funds

YEN.com.gh reported in August 2022, that work on the National Cathedral project was suspended because capital had run out.

Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah of National Cathedral Secretariat disclosed that workers working on the projected have been suspended.

He said unless the public supports the $400 million project, it can not be completed.

Source: YEN.com.gh