Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, the founder and leader of the Lighthouse Chapel International, resigned from the National Cathedral project’s Board of Trustees in August 2022.
At the time, the reasons for his decision were unknown.
However, Citi News obtained a copy of the revered Bishop’s resignation letter, which was addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral and copied on 14 people, including the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Thank you, Akufo-Addo.
Bishop Heward-Mills expressed disappointment in the National Cathedral’s leadership for ignoring concerns raised in several letters he wrote to them, the most recent being in June 2022 through the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference, as one of his reasons for resigning.
“I believe that the handling of the issues I raised in my various letters has been unfortunate. My letters have previously been ignored; unanswered for years, and at best addressed casually.”
“You may recall that I have spoken passionately and extensively about the costs, design, location, fundraising, church mobilization, and the role of the trustees. These, if followed, would have made our project more feasible. In general, my contributions, opinions, and letters have been minimized and ignored.”
He was also surprised to learn that despite the fact that the President had “verbally appointed him as such,” he had not been duly registered as a Director of the Company of the National Cathedral of Ghana, a company limited by guarantee.
He stated in the letter obtained by Citi News that the true Trustees of the Board are some other people he has never met.
“I do not believe this is an oversight, but rather a deliberate exclusion from the Board. Six years is a long time to correct an administrative error like failing to register me.”
“l have therefore accepted for some time now that I am not a trustee of the National Cathedral, but I have still sought to help with the Cathedral because I believe in the President’s vision and I do not have to be a legally registered trustee to do so. In this letter, I refer to myself as a trustee because, even though I am not privy to the majority of the Board’s important decisions, I am referred to as such.”
Absence of clarity
He also believed that the role of the state and the church in the project was ambiguous.
“This lack of clarity is robbing our vision of the validity it needs. I have repeatedly requested that we address this appropriately and urgently because there are many dire consequences for the trustees and individuals involved in this project.”
The founder and leader of Lighthouse Chapel International, also observed that the trustees of the project were not the ones directing and administering the affairs of the project.
He complained that most of the weighty decisions concerning the project are not taken by other people other than the trustees.
“I have been a reachable and available trustee and attended every single meeting of trustees since the pandemic began, in person and by zoom, and the records will show that. If I say that I, as a trustee, do not know many of the financial and technical issues concerning the Cathedral, it means the discussions about the National Cathedral were held by some people outside the trustees’ meeting or perhaps in a forum that I was not present or invited to.”
“On the one hand, the National Cathedral is said to be a Government of Ghana project, with the government taking financial decisions. Yet, on another hand, at meetings, it is implied that the trustees have taken or participated in taking some decisions.”
While resigning, Bishop Dag said: I would like to state clearly that if in the future, there is more clarity to my role and function in the building of the Cathedral, I remain open, available and willing to serve at the pleasure of the President and the nation. Regardless of your response to my resignation and inputs, I remain a supporter of the National Cathedral project and will endeavour to be present to rejoice with the nation when this project is completed.”
I’m not opposed to the National Cathedral.
He did, however, clarify that his resignation does not imply that he is opposed to the cathedral’s construction, as he is a firm believer in the project.
“…I do not want the media or the general public to interpret my withdrawal as a lack of support or belief in the National Cathedral’s construction.”
The National Cathedral Secretariat is under attack.
The National Cathedral Secretariat has come under fire following revelations that millions of dollars were paid to some individuals for work that was never completed.
For example, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has been on a crusade to expose what he calls rot at the National Cathedral Secretariat.
Mr. Ablakwa claimed that GH2.6 million was paid to a company owned by Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, a cathedral board member.
JNS Talent Centre Ltd, which allegedly operates a crèche in Dawhenya, was paid GH2.6 million to assist in the construction of the cathedral, the lawmaker revealed in a tweet last Wednesday.
On Monday, January 16, the lawmaker claimed that JNS Talent is owned by Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
According to him, documents in his possession show that Mr Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is the same as Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng, who is still an Executive Council Member/Director on the National Cathedral Board.
However, the Secretariat explained in a statement that the GH2.6 million was a refund to JNS talent and not an award.
