The walls around the National Cathedral of Ghana are aged plywood. Its spire is yellow construction cranes that have been around for years. It often reverberates by singing – whenever the semi-fixed foundation of the cathedral is filled with rain, a group of frogs sing.
Ghana’s former president, Nana Akufo-Addo, spent about $58 million in public funds on the $400 million cathedral project, a huge amount of money in the West African country owed in the debt. The new finance minister said in March that Ghana’s economy was in “serious trouble”.
The cathedral was designed by celebrity architect David Adjaye. But there is little money to cash out besides the blueprint.
“They only dug one hole – a big hole,” said Chineseedu, a student and Pentecostal Christian last month.
His arms were stuffed under his arm, and he was emerging from the morning service of the Pure Fire Miracle Department to the streets buzzing, buzzing with church men, ice cream vendors and loud kids. His brother John had been buying anointing and he was in trouble. He said, “God will not be happy.”
In Accra, the coastal capital of Ghana, joked that the hole is the largest and most expensive hole in the world. A precious land, surrounded by museums, bank headquarters and some of Ghana’s wealthiest hotels, has cleared the church’s government buildings. Now, the land has vegetation and bird life, except for scrap metal thieves, and occasionally during the rainy season, swimmers perform stunts for social media.
In Mr. Akufo-Addo said that its construction was to fulfill his personal oath to God, but the unbuilt cathedral became a symbol of economic mismanagement and political battlefields.
Now that Mr. Akufo Ador has left the office, the project seems permanently doomed to fail.
The cathedral is now the main goal of the new government’s anti-corruption initiative, called the action to restore all loot. Last month, the government announced it would no longer fund the project and dissolved the agency responsible for managing the project.
Africa is home to the world’s largest Christian population. Ghana’s belief in young people is particularly important, and recently saw a prosperity in church construction.
But the National Cathedral Project never attracted the support of Mr. Akufo Ador. Instead, as Ghana suffered the worst economic crisis in a generation, architecture fell into the foundation.
For many Ghanaians recently, a cathedral seems to be the last thing the country needs, especially the cathedral with an estimated cost of $400 million.
The project began with great fanfare. In 2019, a smiling Mr. Akufo-Addo cut into a large grey, square candy-planned cathedral presented on the cake. With a 5,000-seat auditorium and a concave roof, the curve of the Asante Royal Stool is referenced, and it aims more than just a cathedral. This is a national monument similar to the National Cathedral of Washington or Westminster Cathedral in London. A place where a solemn national ritual (such as the President’s funeral and royal wedding) will be held.
Born in a Presbyterian family, Mr. Akufo-Addo became the Anglican Church at a young age, he told the organization that the cathedral of the tribe would become the unity of Ghanaian Christians, who represent more than 70% of the population. He said it would also be thankful to God for preserving the sacrifices of the country from the epidemics, civil wars and famines that plague its neighbors.
But then he revealed the third reason for its construction.
“I assure God that if I become president (two failed attempts), in the 2016 presidential election, I will build a cathedral to make God’s glory a cathedral.”
This claim proved to be a gift to Mr. Akufo Ador’s opponents, who argued that the president should not be allowed to use public funds as part of his personal bargaining with God, let alone $58 million.
Paul Opoku-Mensah, executive director of the agency responsible for the project, said demonizing the cathedral quickly became a “political strategy.”
In March 2024, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of the parliament, led the march to the construction site, cutting a red ribbon in the gate to mock the president, in order to commission it remains a huge hole.
“We require that the contract must be terminated immediately to avoid economic losses to the country,” he said.
If using a cathedral to target the president is a political strategy, it works. John Mahama, former president John Mahama, who promised to create jobs and determine the economy, made a dramatic comeback in the December election. He made the Foreign Minister Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Corruption accusations are often the center stage of the Ghanaian election, and the large sums involved in the National Cathedral project have led many Ghanaians to say officials have been skimming over the top. The public ombudsman said the procurement rules were violated and recommended a forensic audit.
But in an interview with the Big Hole in early April, Mr Opoku-Mensah said he had nothing to hide and handed over all accounts to investigators.
He explained that the cathedral was not really intended as a church, but a major monument that required state funds to start, but would eventually become a profitable attraction for visitors.
“This is a fundamental misunderstanding of the vision,” he said.
Mr. Akufo Ador also seems to be confused by the controversy. “I find it hard to see what’s wrong,” he said in a book surrounded by a lush garden in his book-stretched home office, he mused loudly on whether people think of “a tribute to my leadership.”
Now, the country’s leaders have changed, and few Ghanaians admit to supporting the cathedral. Those who say Mr. Akufo Ador and others should pay the bill, not taxpayers.
“The funding should be funded through donations,” said architect Esi Darko, who recently left the church near Accra, called Christian Village. “It should not be imposed on everyone, because not all are Christians.”
Ghana also has about 5 million Muslims, a country with more than 35 million people, and more recently, atheists are increasing.
“Don’t believe in God?” Read the billboard in central Accra. “you are not alone.”
Even outstanding Christians have deteriorated the project. A famous pastor, Lawrence Tetteh, arrived at the church with his sister-in-law Gifty Tetteh, a famous pastor, the wife of British Ghana lawyers, hid in Mr. Tette’s office for interviews.
He said he initially accepted the Cathedral Project. He believes that Christians from different denominations will be brought together by it, just as the Ghana Muslims are the national mosque built by Türkiye in 2021. But when he saw too many national currencies being spent a lot, Mr. Tetet said he stopped supporting the idea.
“We are a developing country,” he said. “Although it’s a pleasure to have a building, we also don’t want our buildings to swallow up the situation where this country must live.”
Ms. Tetett said God would understand if the president explained that he could not do a good attitude on the cathedral commitment. “God is not a difficult task manager,” she said. Perhaps the former president could build a small prayer room for him, she suggested.
Francis Kokutse contributed the report.
