The Legislator for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has called for the dismissal of David Adjaye, the connoisseur architect behind the National Cathedral of Ghana bringing up the recent sexual scandal.
The former education minister wants President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Board of Trustees of the cathedral project should fire the embattled architect who has quit his position at the U.K Holocaust Memorial and Learning Center, in London over the indictment.
“With the New York Times reporting that Adjaye has resigned from London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Panel of 42 Design Advocates & having been asked by the British Govt to stay away from its Holocaust Memorial Project; when will Akufo-Addo & his Cathedral Trustees show Adjaye the red card?” he posted in a twitter post on July 5, 2023.
Sir David Adjaye, Ghanaian-British architect who has been knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II stepped down from the U.K Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in London after the UK government became aware of a sexual harassment scandal against him.
According to a statement filed by nytimes.com, a spokesperson for the British ministry that is supervising the U.K. Holocaust Memorial and Learning Center, in London, mentioned in an email that the government was aware of the said allegations and had spoken with David Adjaye’s architecture firm.
The information counted that the spokesperson further substantiated that Sir David Adjaye will not be implicated in the U.K. Holocaust Memorial Foundation project until the matters put forward against him have been dealt with and as a result, he has tendered his resignation in a formal letter to the mayor of London and his role at the foundation has been stopped.
David Adjaye who is the architectural adviser to the mayor of London had been accused by three of his one-time workers of sexual harassment, assault, and toxic work culture in an investigation published by The Financial Times Newspaper.
The New York Times report furthered that in a statement from David Adjaye on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, denied the said allegations.
“I absolutely reject any claims of sexual misconduct, abuse or criminal wrongdoing,” nytimes.com quoted him to have communicated.
The news added that the said release was signed by Kendal Advisory, a communications and crisis management outfit, and clarified that “These allegations are untrue, distressing for me and my family, and run counter to everything I stand for.”
The statement added “Ashamed to say that I entered into relationships which though entirely consensual, blurred the boundaries between my professional and personal lives. Deeply sorry for that and will be immediately seeking professional help to learn from these mistakes to ensure that they never happen again.”
Adjaye has attained international laurels for his sketch of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, found on the iconic National Mall in Washington, D.C, The Ghana National Cathedral, A museum in Nigeria to display African Art, and a Multi-faith centre in Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates.
© 2023 • Story By Edem Latsu Nukafu
Writer’s email: edemlatsu093@gmail.com
