International News
Ghana To Probe Former President’s Huge Cathedral Project
unds had been spent — and charges of financial impropriety — sparked public outrage.
Ghana’s Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) late last year had recommended an audit into the project, citing procurement breaches.
“We will soon activate such an investigation,” Mahama said at a thanksgiving service this week. While he did not rule out completing the cathedral, he hinted at a more modest approach, noting, “any decisions moving forward will prioritise accountability and national interest”.
Set on a 23,000 square metre site in the heart of Accra, the cathedral was designed to include a 5,000-seat auditorium, chapels, a baptistery, a choir school, an art gallery, and multipurpose spaces.
But three years after construction stalled, the site remains a gaping crater. Some argue the project contributed to the electoral defeat of Akufo-Addo and his NPP party in December.
‘Restoring public trust’
“This cathedral represents everything wrong with governance – opaque processes, lack of accountability, and misplaced priorities,” said Emmanuel Wilson Jnr, a campaigner with Crusaders Against Corruption.
“Investigating this project isn’t just about the money; it’s about restoring public trust in government.”
The project’s suspension comes as Ghana struggles with an economic crisis exacerbated by high inflation, mounting debt, and a reliance on a $3 billion IMF bailout to stabilise the economy.
New Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson recently told Parliament that public funding for the cathedral had been halted as part of broader efforts to curb wasteful expenditure.
“The government cannot justify pouring scarce resources into an unfinished project when Ghanaians are struggling to afford basic necessities,” he said.
Contractors have abandoned the site due to unpaid invoices, and at least five trustees have resigned from the project’s board, further eroding public confidence.
‘Public frustration’
Mahama’s pledge to investigate the project has drawn praise and scepticism in equal measure.
“Mahama is not just addressing the financial mismanagement associated with the cathedral; he’s tapping into public frustration over governance failures,” political scientist Kwame Asah-Asante from the University of Ghana told AFP.
“This investigation could set a precedent for holding leaders accountable, but it also risks becoming a political weapon if not handled transparently.”
With Ghana facing a delicate balancing act between fiscal discipline and public sentiment, the fate of the National Cathedral remains uncertain.
Over 70% of the population identify as Christian in the deeply pious West African country.
“When people are struggling to feed their families, such extravagance becomes indefensible,” Asah-Asante said.
AFP
German authorities deported at least 137 Nigerian citizens across five chartered flights between February and June 2026, according to migration monitoring reports.
Data from the DERS Team and Refugees4refugees.org shows the deportations occurred in phases, with 27 Nigerians returned in February, 37 in March through a joint European Union operation, 24 in April, 23 in May, and 26 in June.
The February operation departed from Stuttgart and landed at Lagos Cargo Airport, with Baden-Württemberg listed as a primary participant. The March operation represented the largest single return of Nigerians recorded over three years and was executed in collaboration with Spain, Austria, and Belgium.
The reports indicate a growing reliance on multi-national chartered flights by European states to repatriate undocumented or non-resident individuals to Nigeria.
The United States has condemned the killing of members of the family of Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, describing the attack as horrific and urging Nigerian authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for stronger measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
“The United States strongly condemns the horrific killing of members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s family in Plateau State, Nigeria. The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the bureau said
The US said it had already engaged Nigerian officials on the worsening security situation, stressing that urgent action was needed to curb recurring attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
“As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the statement added.
The bureau reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to combat terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that Christians and other Nigerians should be able to practise their faith without fear of violence.
The statement followed the July 12 attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where nine members of Rev. Dachomo’s extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed.
According to the cleric, the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani militias, asked for him by name before opening fire on his relatives.
Dachomo, who serves as Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, said his family had repeatedly been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the violence in Plateau State.
He recalled that his grandmother and an uncle were also killed in previous attacks, adding that days after burying his relatives, he received a written death threat from the same group, warning that he would be their next target.
Saudi Arabia has updated its tourist eVisa programme for 2026, limiting eligibility in Africa to only three countries as part of its list of 66 nations whose citizens can apply through the Kingdom’s online visa platform.
The move leaves most African countries, including Nigeria, outside the simplified entry scheme.
The electronic visa allows eligible travellers to visit Saudi Arabia for tourism, leisure activities, family visits and Umrah, excluding the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Applications are completed online, eliminating the need for embassy visits and lengthy visa processing.
Saudi authorities said the eVisa forms part of ongoing efforts to expand tourism, attract international visitors and simplify travel procedures through a fully digital application system. The visa is available only to citizens of approved countries and territories listed on the Kingdom’s official tourism portal.
Below is the list of African countries eligible for Saudi Arabia’s eVisa.
1. Mauritius
2. Seychelles
3. South Africa
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