I’ve forgiven Rawlings for destroying my $5m hotel – Alhaji Yusif

Businessman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dara Salaam Group of Companies, Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim, has said that he holds no grudge against former President Jerry John Rawlings, over the latter’s demolition of his five-million-dollar hotel, during his tenure as President. 

“I’m never angry with anybody. I know that whatever happens to me, that’s what God says will happen so I don’t have anything against him. That’s what the Qur’an says, that you should forgive and forget.” 

It had been alleged that the 65-room Pier Hotel at the Airport Residential Area in Accra had been pulled down in 1999 on the orders of JJ Rawlings who suspected that it was co-owned by Sam Jonah, whom he had fallen out with. 

However, Same Jonah dismissed these claims stating that Rawlings had been told that Alhaji Yusif was sponsoring his political opponent and did not take this lightly. 

Alhaji Ibrahim Yusif, speaking to Paul Adom-Otchere on Good Evening Ghana, following the launch of his autobiography said even though there were signs that hotel was being earmarked for demolishing, he never actually believed it would be done. 

He described the news that the hotel was being pulled down by soldiers as “devastating.”

Immediately the news came out, my house was filled with a number of sympathisers. It had already happened, what could we do. We were shocked” 

He also debunked claims that he had been stockpiling weapons in the hotel, in a bid to overthrow the government at the time, stating that he always supported the government and avoided confrontation. 

“I never go against the government of the day. Even if it’s my son, I would bow to him and not confront him.” 

Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim

Alhaji Ibrahim subsequently took the matter to court and was awarded a judgement debt of GH¢6.13 million.

When asked whether he knew he would win the court case, he said “Yes, because it was black and white. I was aid by the Mills Administration soon after they came into power.” 

He, however, said that he lost a lot more than that as he “was paying interest rates as well as what I could have earned, calculated to be around 12m” 

Alhaji Yusif, however, stated that work was progressing steadily on the site, with construction ongoing on a new real estate project. 

“We still own the land and we’re trying to do something. We have a certain level of construction.”Source: citinewsroom.com