Ghana wan investigate controversial $400m cathedral project

Ghana goment go torchlight controversial plans to build one $400m (£330m) national cathedral, new President John Mahama tok.

Pressure don dey mount on authorities to drop di project, wey don generate plenty different reactions for kontri wey dey experience economic crisis.

Former President Nana Akufo-Addo, wey kontri pipo vote out im party during di December elections, bin promise to build di cathedral afta e give God glory for im party success for 2016.

Akufo-Addo goment bin tok say di cathedral go dey privately funded, but so far, dem pay $58m of taxpayers' money on di project.

Nothing dey to show for dis plenty money, but one big crater for one plot of valuable land for central Accra, wey previously be state buildings, judges house and financial companies.

Ghana na deeply religious kontri wia 70% of di pipo be Christians.

Dem plan di National Cathedral of Ghana to be sacred space for all Christians, where national religious services go hold. Dem also reason say e go house Bible museum and one national conference centre.

For one thanksgiving service on Sunday, Mahama say: "Di commission on human rights and administrative justice (CHRAJ) bin direct goment to audit di project and investigate any misuse of public funds. We go soon activate investigation into di project."

However, e no rule out di possibility of finishing di cathedral.

"We fit reach more reasonable figure to achieve dat kain project and togeda we fit raise di funding for am," e tok.

"Reconsideration of dis project fit even include changing di current site wey dem choose for di project. Dem must achieve di project at a reasonable cost, for di current circumstances say Ghana go make am through, e no make sense to achieve a project at a whopping sum of $400m."

On Monday, new Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson suggest say dem no go use public money for di project, e tell parliamentary committee say di goment "go work to cut off wasteful expenditure and di national cathedral project na one of dem".

Ghana dey hit by dia worst economic crisis and last year dem receive $3bn (£2.5bn) bailout from di International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Di rate at which di price of goods dey rise, or inflation, don improve well-well since di bailout, but e still dey high at 23.8%.

Work on di cathedral bin don stop afta contractors write to di goment government, say dem no fit work again sake of lack of payment.

Bifor December elections, Mahama bin hint say if e become president, e go launch investigation into di project and decide weda or not to continue wit am.

But while im NDC party bin dey opposition, dia caucus for parliament bin ask Akuffo-Addo to completely "terminate di contract for di project".

NDC lawmaker Kwabena Mintah Akandoh bin ask say: "Where wisdom dey in building a cathedral wen more pressing needs dey ground for di kontri across sectors like health and education?

"I no think any reasonable person go expect John Mahama to build a cathedral. Pipo dey die from cholera and oda diseases, why focus on a cathedral?"

Di building also don spark concern among senior clergymen wey dey involved for di project.

Five members of di cathedral board of trustees don resign for di middle of calls for di goment to pause di project and carry out audit.