'Rawlings lacks integrity, he must account for Abacha’s $5 million' - Alhaji Sani

Former Vice Chairman of the main opposition National Democratic Congress in the Ashanti Region, Alhaji Mohammed Sani is questioning the integrity of former President Jerry Rawlings regarding corruption.

According to Alhaji Sani, the former president, Jerry John Rawlings received a $5 million gift from former Nigerian President Sani Abacha and not $2million as the former Ghanaian President would have the world believe.

Speaking on Abusua Nkommo hosted by Kwame Adinkrah, Alhaji Sani said he was totally convinced that the former president was playing “smart” when he admitted to taking $2 million instead of the $5 million.

“I can tell you it was $5 million, it wasn’t $2 million,” he said authoritatively.

The Rawlings gift scandal with General Sani Abacha resurfaced during a recent interview with Nigeria’s Guardian Newspaper. After about 18 years of vehement denial, Rawlings finally admitted to collecting the gift through an aide to the former army general called Gworzo.

In 1998, the receipt of the gift was denied by the then National Democratic Congress administration of which Jerry Rawlings was the leader and president of the country.

He was also vehemently defended by NDC Members of Parliament when the issue was raised on the floor of the House at the time.

“Rawlings must stop lying about the exact amount of money he received from Abacha…Names and incidents are popping up and these things will be gathered and made public.”

“If he doesn’t stop talking about integrity and corruption, some of us will expose him badly and he will regret ever daring to speak to issues of corruption in this country,” Alhaji Sani charged.

“Rawlings didn’t govern in isolation, he had ministers, cabinet and other government officials, I am daring Rawlings to come clean on how the $5 million was disbursed, we need detailed accountability on the money, ” he said.