National Cathedral Secretariat clears air on Sonnie Badu payment brouhaha

• Posted on June 22, 2022June 22, 2022
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Executive Director of the National Cathedral Secretariat has refuted claims that it made some payments to gospel musician, Sonnie Badu.

Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah, in a press release issued on Tuesday, said Sonnie Badu was not paid for performing at the launch of the National Cathedral Fundraising at Washington DC on February 8, 2019.

“The Secretariat of the National Cathedral has not paid any money, neither is it aware of any such payment to Sonnie Badu,” he stated.

The clarification is in connection with reports circulating on social media that the gospel artiste was given a sum of $50,000.00.

The reports caught the attention of Sonnie Badu who took to Twitter to comment on the situation.

According to him, he was not given a dime for his performance, adding that “not even a seat was provided for me and my team.”

As a result, Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament, Sam George, called on the government to disclose who took the money.

“They claimed to have paid Sonnie Badu $50,000 for a song ministration at the launch in the US. Now he has come out to say he was not given a dime and not even a seat was offered to him and his team. So who took the $50,000? Surely the Trustees do not know about this!

“Again, they claimed to have paid GHS30,000 to each of the gospel artistes who ministered at the launch here in Accra. Can those artistes also confirm if they received these monies?,’ he quizzed in a Facebook post on Tuesday, June 21.

Again, Sam George, has asked the churches in the country to distance themselves from the controversial National Cathedral project.

He said their association with the project will do their reputation more harm than good.

Sam George in his Facebook post indicated that although he had wanted to remain silent on the issues surrounding the project, current developments have compelled him to speak up.