National Cathedral registered in US; trustees different from Ghana’s – Ablakwa

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has once again taken on the Akufo-Addo government, accusing it of registering the “National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc”, as a non-profit organisation in the United States of America.

In his latest revelation, Mr Ablakwa who made a trip to the United States to gather evidence, wondered why none of the prominent ministers of the gospel who serve as trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana feature in the articles of incorporation and list of trustees as submitted to US authorities.

Mr Ablakwa claims his investigations revealed that the names of governors and authorised persons as contained in the two-year report for Domestic & Foreign Filing Entity are Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah, Eric Okyere Darko and Dr. Vernon Darko.

This National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc., received its certificate of incorporation with an effective date of May 3, 2021, signed by Josef G. Gasimov, Superintendent of Corporations, Corporations Division.

According to the North Tongu MP, the name National Cathedral of Ghana and Museum Foundation, Inc. is “unmistakably” different from what was incorporated in Ghana some two years prior, specifically on the 18th of July 2019, as the National Cathedral of Ghana.

Mr Ablakwa wondered why the government settled on Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah as the Executive Director of the “National” Cathedral Secretariat, Mr Eric Okyere Darko and Dr. Vernon Darko over and above the prominent clergy serving on the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana.

In a Facebook post, Mr Ablakwa said the address provided on both the “National” Cathedral of Ghana website and to US authorities as the official address of the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. is absolutely fraudulent.

Below is Mr Ablakwa’s full Facebook post

Before proceeding to provide details on the latest “National” Cathedral exposé, kindly permit me to salute Comrade Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, General Secretary of the TUC for his remarkably courageous, frank and patriotic remarks on President Akufo-Addo’s scandalous Cathedral project in the presence of the President at yesterday’s Labour Day commemoration. Comrade, you have inspired millions!

President Akufo-Addo’s “National” Cathedral project remains the most sleazy, reckless, sacrilegious and scandalous mission by the sheer magnitude and audacity in the entire history of Ghana.

In this latest instalment of “National” Cathedral transgressions, my international partners and I shall be focusing attention on findings from our investigations into the Akufo-Addo government’s cathedral operations in the United States of America.

It is important to bear in mind that the US has been a major target for fundraising by the “National” Cathedral and Government of Ghana functionaries including President Akufo-Addo.
Today’s publication is only the first in the series of troubling discoveries we have made in the United States.

Articles of Incorporation we have secured from the District of Columbia Government’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (corporation’s division) confirm that a nonprofit corporation has been registered known as the “National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.” (Articles of
Incorporation duly attached).

This National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. received its Certificate of Incorporation with its effective date being May 3, 2021, and signed by Josef G. Gasimov, Superintendent of Corporations, Corporations Division. (See certificate attached).

It is worthy of note that the name National Cathedral of Ghana and Museum Foundation, Inc. is unmistakably different from what was incorporated in Ghana some two years prior, specifically on the 18th of July, 2019 as the National Cathedral of Ghana.

Curiously, we have also discovered that none of the prominent Ministers of the Gospel who serve as Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana feature in the articles of incorporation and list of governors as submitted to US authorities.

The names of governors and authorized persons as contained in the Two-Year Report for Domestic & Foreign Filing Entity are Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, Eric Okyere Darko and Dr. Vernon Darko. (See Report attached).

In US corporate terms “governor” typically refers to a member of the board of directors.
We know Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah as the Executive Director of the “National” Cathedral Secretariat, however, it is unclear why the government preferred Mr. Eric Okyere Darko and Dr. Vernon Darko over and above the prominent clergy serving on the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana.

The Akufo-Addo government’s decision to leave out the clergy in its US operations is particularly strange considering the fact that a considerable number of these ministers have a towering presence in the United States. For instance, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams has long incorporated multiple branches of his Action Chapel International in US cities such as Baltimore, Dallas, New York, Tulsa, Silver Spring in Maryland and the state of Pennsylvania.

Indeed his 2007 established US headquarters is the Virginia Chapel where Bishop Dr. Kibby Otoo who is married to the Archbishop’s daughter Lady Elsie serves as the Presiding Bishop for the Americas and Caribbean. Archbishop Duncan-Williams has also been an almost permanent fixture of the prestigious US National Prayer Breakfast.

Bishop Dag Heward-Mills is similarly celebrated for his numerous Qodesh Family Church branches in several states in the United States. So is Rev. Eastwood Anaba’s ministry and not to mention the other internationally famous denominations such as Pentecost, Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist who all have or once had leading priests on the Board of Trustees in Ghana.

This specific finding of the neglect of the Ghanaian clergy in favour of cronies of the regime gives credence to concerns expressed by Bishop Dag Heward-Mills in his famous resignation letter that it was obvious some outsiders were the real trustees and that inputs from people like him did not matter.

Remember that there’s no residency requirement to be registered as a governor or director in Washington DC.

Further checks conducted indicate that Mr. Eric Okyere Darko was appointed to the Board of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) by President Akufo-Addo and sworn in by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on October 12, 2021 — a few months after he was listed as one of three governors of the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.

Mr. Eric Okyere Darko was also one of Hon. Kennedy Agyapong’s lawyers in the recent case against Anas.
Dr. Vernon Darko on the other hand is said to be the founder and CEO of EQUIPXP® (EXP) and a small business exporter. It is not clear what his usefulness will be to a National Cathedral project.

Even more shocking, we have discovered that the address provided on both the “National” Cathedral of
Ghana website and to US authorities as the official address of the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. is absolutely fraudulent. The advertised address is: the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.

1090 Vermont AVE NW,

Washington, DC 20005.

A personal visit to this address in Washington, DC and thorough verification from managers of the property indicate that the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. has never been a tenant at that address.

Indeed, none of the offices of the 12-floor apartment building has ever been occupied by the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. or any agency representing this entity. The managers of the property were furious and clear that what was going on was simply criminal.

We also decided to embark on the long travel to Springfield in Missouri where Mr. Cary Lee Summers who has been given US$ 6 million of our money is described on the National Cathedral of Ghana website as a “Consultant for the United States.”

On the “National” Cathedral website, the website of Nehemiahgroup.io and with official documents filed with US authorities, Cary Lee Summers provides this address for his Nehemiah Group: 3119 S Scenic Ave, Suite A, Springfield, MO 65807.

When we arrived at that address, there was nothing about the Nehemiah Group. We surprisingly saw quite a ramshackle warehouse with the inscription: Churchill Coffee Company, Wholesale Division.

While I was assessing the shacky warehouse which has portions used as a gym, Mr. Cary Lee Summers stepped out of his coffee wholesale division and made it into my pictures while briskly entering his car in very casual attire (Pictures attached)

How on earth did a Nehemiah Group address with its CEO keeping our colossal US$6million under a bankrupt economy lead us to a warehouse?

It is also most revealing to note that Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah uses the same Cary Summers Churchill Coffee address of “3119 S Scenic Ave, Suite A, Springfield, MO 65807” as his personal address from the articles of incorporation to the two-year report filing.

How long has Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah and Cary Lee Summers been sharing the same personal address?
Did Cary Lee Summers deserve that dubious sweetheart US$6million?

Was it a professional engagement or it was an insider deal?

Is it mere coincidence that soon after mysterious Cary Lee Summers received Ghana’s US$6million he bought a new 4-bedroom house at 10107 E Farm Road 156, Rogersville, Missouri, 65742?
I shall return in a few days with part 2 of the American edition.

For God and Country.
Ghana First