Works and Housing Ministry Denies Knowledge of Construction of National Cathedral

The Ministry of Works and Housing has told Parliament that the activities pertaining to the construction of the National Cathedral is outside the scope of the Ministry’s mandate and therefore could not provide any answers to the Parliamentary questions filed in that direction.

The first question was to ask the Minister about the current state of the National Cathedral; the second, was to inquire from the Ministry, how many judges are still being housed in hotels as a result of the demolition of their bungalows to pave way for the construction of the National Cathedral; and the third was to find out if all private persons whose properties were destroyed at the site for the National Cathedral have been adequately compensated where they qualify.

The Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Abdulai Abanga, told Parliament on Thursday, November 17, 2022 in his response to the Parliamentary questions filed by the Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Ebenezer Terlabi that questions, “relating to the National Cathedral, is an activity which is outside the remit of the Ministry of Works and Housing.

“Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Works and Housing has therefore written to the House in a letter dated 11th of November, 2022 to the Principal Assistant Clerk here at the Table Office to draw attention to this.”
The Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah who was sitting in Plenary, gave a directive that the questions be redirected to the appropriate Ministry by the Clerk.

The response by the Deputy Minister came as a surprise to some of the Members of Parliament who argued that the questions were rightly within the remit of the Ministry because the questions were related to the works and housing.

“Mr. Speaker, demolition of houses to build a cathedral is works, and housing is involved; Mr. Speaker, if not the Ministry of Works and Housing, tell us which Ministry we should ask of questions in relation to such public works as the construction of the National Cathedral? “, the MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga argued in frustration.

Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com