…As TUC joins Pastors to run from National Cathedral & “Borga” Okudzeto drops more dossier
The US$400 million National Cathedral which was intended to be a House of God, has rather become an Edifice of Shame with many even pastors namely; Dag Heward Mills, Eastwood Anaba, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams and Pastor Mensah Otabil, all unwilling to be associated with it.
The controversial project site with a huge pit and mocked as “the most expensive hole in the world” as a result of the millions of dollars sunk into it, including a stone imported from Israel at an unspecified amount, is back in the news again, for all the bad reasons, even before the first cement block is laid.
On Monday, Ghanaian workers through the Trades Union Congress (TUC) used the May Day celebrations to denounce the project, saying they would rather have it turned into a National Hospital to treat sick people.
On Tuesday May 2, 2023, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, came out with a widely known report on the National Cathedral project after a trip to the United States of America (USA).
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The MP reports that his trip to the US revealed that the Cathedral project registered in Washington DC under different name, also no member of clergymen on Ghana Board of Trustees listed in US documents, the address to US registration documents is fraudulent, that he met an American consultant paid US$6 million over the project among others.
Coincidentally, shortly after his claims, the High Court in Accra, yesterday, dismissed contempt charges brought against him by the Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng who goes by other names and has a mother who also has multiple names.
Lawyers of the Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, filed the contempt charges after the MP was cited in a video refusing to be served with court processes relating to a defamation suit brought against him and kicking the documents with his foot in the process.
Addressing the 2023 May Day parade in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, the Secretary-General of the TUC, Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, said converting the cathedral project into a hospital will serve the needs of Ghanaians better.
The TUC also demanded that the government must intervene in its revenue mobilization efforts but cautioned against the excessive use of regressive taxes which will burden local businesses.
Organised Labour also advised the President to reduce the size of the government as Ghana was going through severe economic challenges.
The 2023 May Day parade is on the theme: “Protecting incomes and pensions in an era of economic crisis: Our responsibility.”
“The president has always said he wants to create another Notre Dame in Ghana so we can attract a lot of visitors, but we disagree. In fact, comrades, it will be better to convert the project into a national hospital,” Dr Yaw Baah said adding “Mr. President, you can also reduce the size of your government. Ghana has too many ministers and deputy ministers.”
In the case of the Okudzeto, the lawmaker, who has been at the forefront alleging financial misappropriation and corporate governance breaches by the Akufo-Addo government, returned from the United States with a file on the project.
Cathedral project registered in Washington DC
Ablakwa revealed in a write-up that the project is registered in the US state of Washington DC under the name: “National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.”
“Articles of Incorporation we have secured from the District of Columbia Government’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (corporation’s division) confirm that a nonprofit corporation has been registered known as the “National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.” (Articles of Incorporation duly attached).
This National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. received its Certificate of Incorporation with its effective date being May 3, 2021 and signed by Josef G. Gasimov, Superintendent of Corporations, Corporations Division. (See certificate attached).
“It is worthy of note that the name National Cathedral of Ghana and Museum Foundation, Inc. is unmistakably different from what was incorporated in Ghana some two years prior, specifically on the 18th of July, 2019 as the National Cathedral of Ghana.
No member of clergy listed in US documents
Ablakwa revealed that even though there are three members listed as trustees in the US documentation, only one of them contained in counterpart registration papers of the National Cathedral of Ghana.
“Curiously, we have also discovered that none of the prominent Ministers of the Gospel who serve as Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana feature in the articles of incorporation and list of governors as submitted to US authorities.
The names of governors and authorized persons as contained in the Two-Year Report for Domestic & Foreign Filing Entity are: Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, Eric Okyere Darko and Dr. Vernon Darko. (See Report attached).
“In US corporate terms “governor” typically refers to a member of the board of directors.
“We know Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah as the Executive Director of the “National” Cathedral Secretariat, however, it is unclear why the government preferred Mr. Eric Okyere Darko and Dr. Vernon Darko over and above the prominent clergy serving on the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana,” he stated.
Address to US registration is fraudulent
“Even more shocking, we have discovered that the address provided on both the “National” Cathedral of Ghana website and to US authorities as the official address of the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. is absolutely fraudulent. The advertised address is: National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. 1090 Vermont AVE NW, Washington, DC 20005.
“A personal visit to this address in Washington, DC and thorough verification from managers of the property indicate that the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. has never been a tenant at that address.
“Indeed, none of the offices of the 12-floor apartment building has ever been occupied by the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. or any agency representing this entity. The managers of the property were furious and clear that what was going on was simply criminal,” the post read in part.
American consultant to project
We also decided to embark on the long travel to Springfield in Missouri where Mr. Cary Lee Summers, who has been given US$6million of our money, is described on the National Cathedral of Ghana website as “Consultant for the United States.”
On the “National” Cathedral website, the website of Nehemiahgroup.io and with official documents filed with US authorities, Cary Lee Summers provides this address for his Nehemiah Group: 3119 S Scenic Ave, Suite A, Springfield, MO 65807.
When we arrived at that address, there was nothing about the Nehemiah Group. We surprisingly saw quite a ramshackle warehouse with the inscription: Churchill Coffee Company, Wholesale Division.
While I was assessing the shacky warehouse which has portions used as a gym, Mr. Cary Lee Summers stepped out of his coffee wholesale division and made it into my pictures while briskly entering his car in very casual attire (Pictures attached)
Identity of two ‘unknown’ men in US incorporation documents
Checks conducted indicate that Mr. Eric Okyere Darko was appointed to the Board of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) by President Akufo-Addo and sworn in by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on October 12, 2021 — a few months after he was listed as one of three governors of the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.
Mr. Eric Okyere Darko was also one of Hon. Kennedy Agyapong’s lawyers in the recent case against Anas.
Dr. Vernon Darko on the other hand is said to be the founder and CEO of EQUIPXP® (EXP) and a small business exporter. It is not clear what his usefulness will be to a National Cathedral project.
In court yesterday, Justice Charles Gyamfi Dabkwah, dismissed the contempt charges on the grounds that the bailiff was not a certified staff of the judicial service.
Rev. Kusi Boateng has sued the NDC legislator for making publications suggesting that he is engaged in a conflict of interest and double identity for allegedly operating under another name, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
According to the Judge, the Chief Justice in 2021 directed that writs should only be served by members of the Judicial Service. But the court noted that the alleged bailiff is not a staff of the Judicial Service hence the process cannot be said to be legitimate.
The case was also dismissed on grounds that the alleged bailiff did not follow processes meant to be followed in serving a member of parliament who is on parliamentary duties or on his way to parliament as was claimed by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa February 3, 2023, when the incident occurred.
The Judge also in delivering his ruling indicated that the applicants did not prove the contempt charge beyond reasonable doubt as there were inconsistencies in the facts presented before the court.
Justice Charles Gyamfi Dabkwah, dismissed the case and Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng alias Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, was handed a cost of GHC10,000.
