‘It’s better to complete Agenda 111 than spend money on a National Cathedral’ – Dr Dominic Ayine

Dr Ayine, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East, made the comments on Thursday, August 13, 2026, during the launch of the Free Primary Health Care programme in the Upper East Region.

His remarks come amid renewed calls from some prominent religious leaders for the National Cathedral project to be completed, with the Attorney-General questioning the manner in which the project was initiated and financed.

According to Dr Ayine, a PwC report on expenditure relating to the National Cathedral, which was presented to him on Friday, August 7, indicated that monies committed to the project could have been used to complete some of the hospitals under Agenda 111.

“The PwC report on the National Cathedral was presented to me last Friday. The monies spent on the National Cathedral from that report could have been used to complete some Agenda 111 Hospitals,” he said.

He added that the manner in which the religious project was handled was questionable.

“You don’t build a house of God in the manner in which they went about it,” Dr Ayine stated.

The Attorney-General’s comments were made during President John Dramani Mahama’s visit to the Upper East Region, where the government was undertaking activities connected to its Free Primary Health Care programme.

Dr Ayine used the occasion to draw attention to the health infrastructure challenges facing communities in the region and argued that completing unfinished hospitals would have a more immediate impact on people’s lives.

Focus on Agenda 111 hospitals

Agenda 111 was introduced under the Akufo-Addo administration as an ambitious healthcare infrastructure programme aimed at constructing hospitals in districts across Ghana that lacked adequate hospital facilities.

However, several of the projects were left incomplete, becoming the subject of political debate over the years.

Dr Ayine said the government had now identified a number of stalled Agenda 111 projects for completion and disclosed that the Zuarungu hospital project in the Bolgatanga East District had been included on the list.

The Attorney-General said he had repeatedly engaged the Minister of Health over the need to complete the facility because of its importance to residents in the constituency.

“I have been on the neck of my colleague, the Health Minister, to ensure that it is completed,” he said.

According to Dr Ayine, he had also pressed the Health Minister to provide a list of districts whose abandoned Agenda 111 projects had been selected for completion.

“When he asked his people, his IT people, to pull it up, there was Bolga East Zuarungu listed on it,” he said.

The development, he suggested, would be significant for residents who have faced healthcare challenges because of the absence of a completed district hospital.

Bolga East health facility faces challenges

Beyond the unfinished Agenda 111 project, Dr Ayine also highlighted challenges facing the Bolgatanga East Health Centre, particularly its limited capacity to handle emergency surgical cases.

He said the facility currently has a small theatre, making it difficult for health workers to attend to several emergency cases at the same time.

“If two or three pregnant women come here and there’s a need for us to do a C-section, there’s no way we are going to be able to handle all of them,” he explained.

According to the MP, the situation can result in patients being referred to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, placing additional pressure on the regional facility.

He disclosed that the Minister of Health had visited the health centre and promised to support the construction of a modern operating theatre to improve its ability to handle emergency cases.

National Cathedral remains controversial

The National Cathedral project has been one of Ghana’s most controversial public projects in recent years.

The initiative was championed by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a national religious landmark and a symbol of Ghana’s gratitude to God.

However, the project has faced persistent criticism over its financing, expenditure, fundraising arrangements and progress.

Questions surrounding the use of public funds on the project have intensified amid Ghana’s economic difficulties and the competing need for investment in areas such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.

The PwC report referenced by Dr Ayine has added another dimension to the debate, with the Attorney-General arguing that resources spent on the cathedral could have been directed towards completing critical healthcare projects.

His comments therefore place the National Cathedral debate within a wider discussion about government priorities and the use of public resources.

Ayine’s argument for healthcare investment

Dr Ayine’s position is that government expenditure should focus on projects capable of directly improving the lives of citizens, particularly in areas where critical infrastructure remains incomplete.

For communities without functioning district hospitals, the completion of Agenda 111 facilities could mean improved access to emergency care, maternity services, surgery and other essential medical services.

The argument comes as the government seeks to expand access to primary healthcare through its Free Primary Health Care programme.

The Attorney-General commended President Mahama for the initiative, describing it as evidence of the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of Ghanaians.

He maintained that effective use of state resources was essential if such programmes were to deliver meaningful benefits.

The broader debate over national priorities

Dr Ayine’s comments have reignited an issue that has divided public opinion since the National Cathedral project began: should Ghana continue investing in the cathedral when other major development projects remain unfinished?

Supporters of the cathedral have argued that it could serve as an important religious, cultural and national landmark, while critics have questioned whether public funds should be committed to such a project at a time when the country faces significant economic and social challenges.

The debate is therefore not simply about religion.

It is also about public finance, accountability and the priorities governments should set when resources are limited.

Dr Ayine’s intervention adds the perspective that completing hospitals should take precedence because of their direct impact on public health.

Government’s healthcare agenda

The Attorney-General’s remarks also fit into the government’s broader emphasis on healthcare delivery.

The Free Primary Health Care programme is intended to improve access to basic healthcare services, particularly for communities where cost and distance can prevent people from seeking medical attention.

For such a programme to succeed, however, adequate healthcare infrastructure is essential.

The completion of district hospitals and improvement of existing health centres could therefore play an important role in ensuring that increased demand for healthcare services can be properly managed.

A question of value for money

At the heart of Dr Ayine’s criticism is the issue of value for money.

The Attorney-General’s argument is that when public resources are limited, government must carefully consider which projects offer the greatest benefit to citizens.

In his view, completing hospitals that have already been started could provide an immediate and measurable benefit to communities, while further spending on the National Cathedral should not take priority over critical healthcare infrastructure.

His comments are likely to fuel further discussion about the future of the cathedral project and whether the current administration intends to commit additional public resources towards its completion.

For now, the government is moving ahead with plans to complete selected stalled Agenda 111 projects, including the facility at Zuarungu, while the National Cathedral remains the subject of ongoing political and public debate.

Dr Ayine’s message was clear: at a time when communities are still waiting for essential healthcare infrastructure, completing hospitals should take priority over spending more money on the National Cathedral.