| General News
[ 2016-07-25 ]
Abacha’s $2m wasn’t for my personal use – Rawlings Former President Jerry John Rawlings has clarified
that he did not use the $ 2 million he received
from Nigeria’s former President Abacha for his
personal use, and has also described as lies
suggestions that he may have indeed received $5
million and not $2 million.
There has been pressure on Mr. Rawlings to
disclose what he used the money for.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after weeks of back
and forth on the matter, Mr. Rawlings, who made
the rather startling revelation to the Guardian
Newspaper in Nigeria, indicated that the money was
not meant to influence him to protect Abacha’s
image, neither was it for his personal use.
“That money did not go for my personal use and
was not meant to influence me to whitewash
Abacha’s image. My credibility is priceless and
cannot be bought. My compatriots have always been
nervous when I am about to speak, no matter how
close I am to them”
Claims that I took $5 million are lies –
Rawlings
He also dismissed claims he had received $5
million and not $ 2 million from Abacha,
describing them as “falsehood”.
“We have allowed the $5 million lie to run when
it was $2 million. I am tired of falsehood and
liars all over the place. With the pile-up of lies
and fabrication...”
Below are excerpts of the interview he granted the
Daily Graphic reporter
Your views on corruption are globally known, but
what is this revelation that you received money
from one Gwarzo from Nigeria, 18 years after the
matter had died?
JJR
We have allowed the $5 million lie to run, when
it was $2 million. I am tired of falsehood and
liars all over the place. With the pile-up of lies
and fabrication, I wanted to set the record
straight once and for all.
That money did not go for my personal use and was
not meant to influence me to whitewash Abacha’s
image. My credibility is priceless and cannot be
bought.
My compatriots have always been nervous when I am
about to speak, no matter how close I am to them!
General Abacha was unassuming and carried the
determined pride of a Nigerian. His intervention
during the uncertainties around Shonekan’s
period was very timely and kept the center in
Nigeria together. He obviously respected the
integrity of our leadership and chose to support
us without prompting or being asked. How was I to
know he was engaging in stashing huge funds?
Didn’t we all hear about this negative behaviour
after he had died? Incidentally, Nigeria used to
make the most contributions, I believe, to the ANC
struggle.
I cannot stifle the truth. Jerry Rawlings never
stifles the truth no matter how long some attempt
to suffocate the reality. Gwarzo should not have
done what he did. Not against me. We survived and
succeeded on the incorruptibility of the word.
This nation exploded once over corruption.
Being socialist minded as I thought we were, our
focus was to turn around most of our state
enterprises, and we had no time or interest in
promoting business for personal profit, as a
result of which we hardly had any money to engage
in the neo-colonialist struggle. I never declined
support from progressive-minded leaders because we
all knew the nature of the struggle we were
engaged in. Not one of my colleagues in the
PNDC/NDC can accuse me of misappropriating funds
for my personal use.
Sometime in 1982/83 a Pan-African wealthy admirer
of our revolution flew in to meet me; after
exchange of views; before he departed, he signed a
cheque for $1 million. After his departure, I
picked up the cheque and tossed it onto the
workshop table in the bedroom at the Castle with
one of our security comrades following me. About
seven to eight years later, this comrade was
asking about the cheque and the need to cash the
money for some project.
Having forgotten about it, I asked if he had any
idea where it could be and he said I tossed it
onto the workshop table so I asked him to go look
for it. He found it and attempted to cash it but
there was no money. I asked him to call the donor
so I could enquire what had happened to the money.
The gentleman explained that after about six
months of the money sitting in the account, he
thought we had no need for it so he took it back.
When Mandela was going round the world soliciting
for funds and he came here for support we were
privileged to contribute $1 million. Can this
contribution be called bribery? Mandela was
fighting apartheid, and our revolution was
fighting neo-colonialism.
Governments and organisations, as well as
individuals all over the world, will either
support you or support an opposition against you
depending on whether you are perceived as being
progressive or reactionary. There are those who
put these kinds of support into their private
pockets and accounts while there are those of us
who receive for patriotic and humanitarian
purposes and to continue the neo-colonial
struggle.
And this support takes various forms; logistical,
political or financial. What do you think Russia
is doing in Syria supporting the regime while
America is supporting the opposition to wage war
against the regime? What is Saudi Arabia doing in
Yemen and neighbouring countries? This kind of
support for or against goes on everywhere all the
time. Denying it does not mean it is not
happening.
KA
Very well sir, but what was the exact purpose of
this money? Was it something you solicited? Did
you appropriate a portion for your personal use?
JJR
As I indicated earlier, it came without prompting
or solicitation. We received various forms of
support from leaders of government and other
well-wishers in our continued fight against
neo-colonialism. If I had gained personally in any
way, or if I had been stashing money from such
contributions, I would not at the end of my
tenure, have been in search of $28,000 for a close
family member’s surgery when the incoming
government refused to approve the medical cost. I
was compelled to borrow the money for the surgery.
I have been compelled to borrow much bigger
amounts to support a lot of our compatriots who
have been through painful situations as a result
of the persecution they suffered after we left
office.
KA
There have been a lot of reactions since the
revelation. What is your response? Has this
revelation rather punched a hole in your quest for
leadership of integrity? Mr. Hackman Owusu
-Agyemang, a former Foreign Minister under former
President Kufuor’s administration, says you
should go and sin no more. What is your reaction?
JJR
As for Hackman Owusu-Agyemang’s comments, what
I have to say is that God will approve of my sins
so far as they’re directed at people of his
ilk.
Man’s quest for power through corrupt means
will push them into attempting to destroy people
of integrity. Some society’s jail people for
lying, but here liars and thieves have gained the
upper hand. But not over me. The truth for me is
divine. Uniqueness, excellence, and godliness
cannot be without truth.
If we are looking for something negative to
believe about Rawlings, then go search for
something else.
If we are, however, as weak and faithless as to
want to believe a dirty charge of bribery and
corruption against me, then evil has triumphed. My
unshakable integrity has served a noble purpose
almost all my life.
The neo-colonialism struggle is not over and
people cannot afford to lose the dignity and
strength of their integrity.
You need it to continue the struggle against
neo-colonialism and the destructive effect of
bribery and corruption.
This orchestration is designed to weaken your
belief in Rawlings and most of all in your very
own self. You need an incorruptible degree or
quality of strength to fight this evil and you
need your integrity to fight a good fight.
I find it laughable that some have used the media
to try to rationalise and even speak almost as if
they know the facts more than I do.
What could be the explanation for the media
stoking this issue to this extent? My reputation
and image presents a huge challenge and obstacle
to bribery and corruption, so if the media can be
used to create the impression and convince people
that I am corruptible, this would change the
paradigm and destroy the factor that makes
Rawlings a very potent force.
If the people should begin to have doubts about
my integrity on account of this falsehood, our
enemies and traitors would have won. For them to
misinterpret a contribution or support in our
fight against neo-colonialism is quite
disingenuous.
A few too many characters in the media earn their
living this way. Destroying the integrity of
Rawlings has been the main objective since 1979 to
this day. Newspapers and other characters have
been set up and financed with this objective as
the main goal.
Kobby Asmah
This brings me to the issue of your view on
political discourse in the country. Do you follow
general discussions on our airwaves, print and
social media?
Jerry John Rawlings
If we are going to allow some of these
self-acclaimed media analysts to influence our
perspectives about what is true or false, right or
wrong then we will continue to have difficulties
with rising above mediocrity, petty-mindedness and
prejudicial thinking. Our sense of cultural
justice and basic intellect is being seriously
warped by some of these characters. Let us free
ourselves, let us disentangle our minds from the
daily barrage of shallow and hollow rhetoric on
our airwaves.
Let’s not allow our resolve against bribery and
corruption to weaken. That is the clear aim of
these characters. They feel threatened by anyone
with higher morals than they have.
When I got that financial award from the Hunger
Project did I not use it as seed money for a
university? Is this not what I do, is it not my
nature? I will not tolerate or permit any such
thing. My mind is nowhere near materialism.
In November 2015 when the Minister of Petroleum
informed me of a decision to name one of the
Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading
Vessels (FPSOs) after me, I declined the offer and
wrote back to the Minister saying:
“I will rather live in the hearts of men, than
have my name on monuments, streets, and
circles.”
Let me assure the numerous people of my solid
faith here in Ghana and beyond that my integrity
is intact and unshakable. I cannot force belief on
anyone. If some do not know who I am…the quality
of my integrity by now, there’s little I can do
to help them. Maybe, when the carrion eating
vultures and truth haters have had their fill,
reasoning minds and hearts will prevail.
Kobby Asmah
Questions have been raised about your role in the
NDC. As party founder, you have criticised the
party publicly and recently referred to the NPP
candidate as not being corrupt. Do you still
support the NDC?
Jerry John Rawlings
Do you know the number of times Justice Annan
kept reminding me that he belongs to the UP/PP
tradition during the PNDC era? And yet I remained
a great admirer of Justice Annan, his brilliance,
his diplomacy, his sense of fairness and the
quality of his judgement.
Justice Annan was one of the finest statesmen of
integrity that I have come across and gave his
best to this country as most of us attempted to
do. Justice Annan would indeed have been a very
fine President.
I will therefore, not misjudge NPP on account of
some of its callous, vicious elements just as I
will not disown or misjudge the revolution, the
PNDC and the NDC as some of its appointees and
leading figures have done in dissociating
themselves from the PNDC, June 4 and 31st
December. Treachery and disloyalty is not my
nature.
Some within the party have turned themselves into
kingmakers who will do all in their power to
upstage the party structure and operate the party
from their homes. My criticisms of socio-political
issues have not been restricted to the NDC. When I
was very critical of the Kufuor government and his
party I was then in the good books of the NDC, but
today after eight years of NDC whom do I
criticise? Naturally, I will criticise the party
that has been saddled with the responsibility to
manage the country.
I sometimes echo the opinions of the voiceless
and I do so with goodwill. I do so to ensure that
the party and its government stay on their toes.
My role as Founder should not be a basis to
suffocate my conscience. The NDC is undoubtedly a
formidable political force borne out of a
revolution that many laid down their lives for.
Our responsibility is to every man and woman who
sacrificed with their blood and toil during those
heady days. Failure to adhere to the principles of
probity, accountability, transparency, and
integrity will be a betrayal of those who
sacrificed for this nation.
Kobby Asmah
Many including the global community are expecting
to read your memoir. Sir, how come we do not have
your memoir written and published by now?
Jerry John Rawlings
My memoir will be out by my 70th birthday and the
title will, however, be shocking but true.
Source - citifmonline.com
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