Alhaji Bature: We Never Heard Of Any Rawlings Foundation

Managing Editor of the �Al-Hajj� Newspaper, Alhaji Bature, has rejected claims by Spokesperson of the Rawlingses, Kofi Adams that the erstwhile NPP administration sabotaged former President Rawlings� in his bid to establish a foundation. According to him, there was never any intent by Mr. Rawlings to set up a foundation so it is surprising the sudden revelation that his effort was frustrated. The �Al-Hajj� Editor explained that even though former President Rawlings devoted about 50 per cent of the money he won through the Hunger Project in the establishment of the University of Development Studies (UDS), he (Rawlings) never mentioned it as being part of a foundation he intends to set up. �This is totally false and I don�t expect Kofi Adams to be embarrassing the former President with this kind of statements. There is no evidence to support that,� he added. The spokesperson of the former President had earlier revealed in an interview with Citi News that his boss would have set up a foundation like his successor, J. A. Kufuor if the erstwhile NPP administration had not undermined his efforts. Mr. Rawlings� successor, John Kufuor launched the John A. Kufuor Foundation on Tuesday. The foundation dubbed the John A. Kufuor Foundation would include the John A. Kufuor Centre for Leadership, Governance and Development, at the University of Ghana, Legon and a Presidential Library and Museum at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. Mr. Kufuor has received a lot of praise for the gesture with many describing it as a sign of statesmanship. The gesture also led to calls by many for Mr. Rawlings to emulate his successor. However, Mr. Kofi Adams stated that if the then NPP administration had not frustrated ex-President Rawlings, he (Rawlings) would have set up a similar foundation by now. According to him, a parcel of land has already been acquired for the purpose and a similar feat will soon materialize. Contributing to discussions on Asempa FM�s Ekosii Sen political program, Alhaji Bature who conceded that the Kufuor administration sabotaged Mr. Rawlings from receiving an award from UDS, however stated that that incident should not have prevented Mr. Rawlings from establishing his foundation. Underscoring the need to give credit where it is due irrespective of political affiliations, the �Al-Hajj� Editor stated; �If Kufuor has done it, let's give him the credit for doing it but it doesn't stop Rawlings from doing same� Ghanaians will be looking forward to the projects Mr. Rawlings intend to establish�.