Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has released Episode 3 of his ‘National Cathedral Scandals – American Edition’.
From his recent trip to the United States of America, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Ghana’s Parliament has released evidence of scandals he describes as “bombshells” about the National Cathedral of Ghana project.
On each occasion, the Secretariat has responded and refuted the allegations.
On Saturday, May 6, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP wrote that his latest episode “reveals deeply distressing findings from two US states of Oklahoma and Illinois”.
“Hitherto, Ghanaians and the Parliament of Ghana had only been informed either through official documentation, the ‘National’ Cathedral of Ghana website and press releases from the Cathedral Secretariat about its Washington, D.C. office, even though that address: 1090 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20005 has now turned out to be fictitious.”
He revealed that in Oklahoma, as part of the renewal of registration of the fundraising documents, Dr. Vernon Darko, Eric Okyere Darko, and Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah were named as directors in defiance of earlier advice from the Attorney General.
He indicated that Dr Darko was even registered as President in Illinois.
“How did Dr. Vernon Darko become President of a national project abroad? Who appointed him to that position? How does he derive his authority? How is he accountable to Ghanaians? Why is Parliament not aware of his exalted status?
“If the ‘National’ Cathedral of Ghana and the Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. is truly a national project belonging to Ghanaians, why are Ghana’s two diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C. and New York playing absolutely no role? Why should Dr Vernon Darko and his collaborators have all the authority over a so-called national project abroad while our Ambassador and Permanent Representative have absolutely no authority and no locus?”
Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa accused the trio of declaring $63,978 as raised funds.
“This amount has never been disclosed to Ghanaians neither is it contained in any of the reports to Parliament.
“Where is this money and what was it used for? When will Ghanaians know the total amount of funds raised across the US and how credible will that figure be considering the sordid levels of opacity, structural illegalities and abysmal corporate governance?”
