Alhaji Said Sinare, a former national vice chairman of the opposition National Democratic Party (NDC), has questioned claims that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia paid for the refurbishment of the Kumasi Central Mosque on his own. Alhaji Sinare stated in an XYZ TV interview on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, which GhanaWeb observed, that the mosque refurbishment cost between $ 1 million and $ 1.2 million, asking how the vice president raised such a large sum on his own. He went on to say that he was previously in charge of the mosque's modernization, to which others contributed. As a result, he requested Dr Bawumia to reveal the source of the monies utilized to restore the Kumasi Central Mosque.
"Assume it is the vice president who is supporting the Kumasi Central Mosque; my issue is that look at the money involved. Is the vice president willing to fund this initiative out of his own pocket? Where is he going to acquire the money for that amount, a few millions of dollars?
"In Islam, if you fund something in Allah's name and the money is not Halal money, you will not receive the blessing for it, no matter what you do... "There is no wrongdoing in mentioning the people who contributed to the initiative," he stated.
The former NDC vice chair also stated that when he was in charge of the mosque's refurbishing, one of Saudi Arabia's princes pledged to offer support for the reconstruction, but he does not know how the processes he initiated concluded.
"... when I turned over, I even informed the person who took over from me, T.B. Damba, that this is where I've arrived, the cash (from the Saudi Prince) was arriving that month, continue from there, make sure the money comes in," he stated.
"If the vice president is alleging that he funded it… does he have the money, perhaps around $2 million. Does he have the $1 million, assuming it costs that much? "How much does he make?" he asked again.
What the vice president said concerning the Kumasi Central Mosque's funding:
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, speaking during the commissioning of the Kumasi Central Mosque, disputed claims that the mosque was renovated using cash from Saudi Arabia.
According to the vice president, the mosque was redecorated and modernized using only Ghanaian funds.
"When we started renovating these Mosques, and seeing how quickly the work was proceeding, people began spreading rumors.
"Some claimed that we were using Saudi money for the project, but this is not true. Some folks believe that we are incapable of accomplishing anything on our own. "If we set our minds to it, we can do anything," he stated in Twi.
The 7000-seat mosque, arguably the country's second largest, contains a 100-capacity ablution center and 30 underground washrooms.
In addition to 11 furnished offices, the mosque boasts a 500-person conference hall, two-bedroom apartments, and other magnificent electrical fixtures.
According to sources, Dr Bawumia secured cash to renovate and rebuild the mosque in order to fulfill a commitment he made to the Ashanti Region's Muslim community.
Watch the interview below:
You can also watch this episode of People & Places here:
