Indigenous Capitalists, Lobbyists, Obfuscators, and $1.9 Million!

“…From all the reports published in the media (hope you are reading, Ms. Wood), Ms. Rosa Whitaker was head-and-butt deep in Ghana’s political waters. A reasonable person can only assume that her Whitaker Group, at the 4 June “Lunch Discussion” in Washington, DC, planned to influence Nana Akufo-Addo and Ghanaian public interests, policies, and relations with the US. Further, The Whitaker Group planned to promote the interests of the NPP party by the statement, “…he (Nana Akufo-Addo) is generally expected to succeed President Kufour.” It isn’t nothing but political! So tell us, Mrs. Duncan-Williams, what did you do with the US law that tells you it is illegal “…to contribute or solicit funds for foreign candidates…” What did you do with the other one that says that it is illegal for officials to participate in any lobbyist-funded event that honors or mentions the name of officials? Tell us, if it is not acceptable in the US, why do you suppose it is good for Ghana? Tell us, please…” (Prof Lungu, 4 July 08)

“…A research into the United States Attorney General’s reports…show that the NPP government paid the sum of 1.3 Million US dollars to Rosa Whitaker Duncan -Williams…since 2003 as lobbyists…,” (Kojo Poku, Ghanaweb, 2008-06-10).

“…Were it not for the poor vision and self centered thinking of our leaders, why do we need a foreigner to promote us and make appointments for us to see American business persons, or to receive grants allowed by the US government…Why, when…we have hundreds of men and women trained and well versed in American business and socio-culture, as well as paid Embassy and Consulate staff?... Could we not have…,” (Kwaku A. Danso, Ghanaweb, 2008-06-17)

We’ve been forced to revisit this item again because we went behind Kojo Poku to evaluate the record of The Whitaker Group, their responses to The Enquirer and Kojo Poku on the most important points about the $1.3 million, and the bang for Ghana’s money. We were forced to rush this report when we read a piece in the media about Mr. Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah, a professional wrestler with the World Wrestling Entertainment with the stage name, Kofi Kingston. Apparently, handlers at the WWE determined that Ghana is a nonentity where international stature is concerned, but that Jamaica is. So, Ghana’s premiere wrestler goes around practicing his trade and making a very good living under the “foreign flag” of Jamaica. Not that Kofi “Nahaje” Kingston is complaining. The money, we find, is very good, even if all the national credit must go to Bob Marley’s Jamaica. But this piece is not about Mr. Kofi Kingston. This is about The Whitaker Affair and the larger point regarding what is happening to all the Ghanaian capital – National, International, Human, Internal, Diasporan, Real, and Symbolic!

The question is what promotional advantage did Ghana actually receive for the reported $1.3 million? Or to use recent movements in presidential circles on the subject of “Branding Ghana for a Prosperous Future,” what bang did Ghana really get?

We went checking!

Come to find out, between 2003 and 2007, US government reports show that Ghanaian tax payers actually paid $1.6 million, or $300,000 more than Mr. Poku reported. In fact, because the 2007 report is only for the first part of the year, Ghanaian taxpayers can reasonable expect that payments to The Whitaker Group during 2003-2007 was no less than $1.9 million. Then add payments in 2008, during and after the marriage of Ms. Whitaker to nouveau-Archbishop Duncan-Williams, an event topped by their conjugal visit to President Kufour, if you will recall.

To help you evaluate what Ghana received for the $1.9 million, you must look at the canned response The Whitaker Group sent to the US government for 2003-2007 lobbying and legal “services” on behalf of Ghana. Please read and determine for yourself if Ghanaian officials already on the tax-payer roll could have done that cheaper:

For $100,000 in 2003, “…The registrant prepared a trade and investment strategy designed to increase economic ties with the United States. The registrant also hosted an investment luncheon for the Ghanaian President to introduce U.S. investors to Ghana...” Next, for $300,000 during the first half of 2007, “…The registrant contacted U.S. Government officials and members of Congress to clarify matters related to Ghana's cocoa sector and child labor, and Ghana's approach to addressing these matters. The registrant also disseminated informational materials...” And on and on, from 2003 through 2008; $300,000 here; $100,000 there; $300,000; $100,000 there!

Prof Lungu lived in Washington DC during 2005-2006. I was privy to some data and information about lobbying activities and promotion of national governments in the US Capitol Region. I attended some trade shows and conventions. Ghana was never featured in any of those reports or Conventions. Where it mattered to be a sponsor of Convention events, Ghana was Missing-in-Action. Jamaica was almost always there!

Our Take on the Whitaker Response: If Prof Lungu was Attorney General (I guess I am qualified – recall the brouhaha about Akufo-Addo’s law degree) working for Ghana, I would want to know how The Whitaker Group got that contract, who else competed for the "right" to market Ghana in the US, what were the terms of the contract, and what was actually produced and delivered, to whom. Call it Freedom of Information & Accountability – Ghana! And if I was a researcher/evaluator, I’d be interested in knowing if Ghana could not have gotten all those “benefits” now claimed by The Whitaker Group using employees already on Ghana’s payroll; what impact the Whitaker factor created for the promotion of Ghana; number of people impacted in Ghana by their activities, etc. In either case, the important question is was the $1.9 million in payments to The Whitaker Group the most effective use of Ghanaian funds given the task, alternatives, and competing needs?

Consider next the response from a Mr. Prince Osei-Bonsu that included the statement, “…TWG accompanied, on several occasions, a senior US agricultural company to Ghana…?” What is senior about a nameless company and was the individual on a charity business trip to Ghana? Further, why does Mr. Osei-Bonsu neglect to mention the names of the companies (in the US and in Ghana) that have made all those multi-million dollar investments in Ghana? Also, why does Mr. Osei-Bonsu think that Ghana needs a lobbyist to secure “US-government backed investment” when Ghana has a Foreign Ministry, a President who is always on the move, an Embassy in Washington, DC, and all manner of Ministers, Deputies, advisors? Finally, why did Mr. Osei-Bonsu neglect to sign as an employee, owner, or paid Whitaker spokesperson?

It isn’t nothing but political, Rosa Whitaker! According to the relevant US law (FARA), “…Political activity…means any activity which the person engaging in believes will, or that the person intends to, in any way influence any agency or official of …the United States or any section of the public within the United States with reference to formulating, adopting, or changing the domestic or foreign policies of the United States or with reference to the political or public interests, policies, or relations of a government of a foreign country or a foreign political party…”

There you have it! In the matter of the sponsorship of Nana Akufo-Addo to The Whitaker Group “lunch discussion” event, the evidence shows that the lobbyist organized a political event. We at Ghanaweb (and The Enquirer) know better. Whether the event was a fund-raiser is immaterial here. For his part, Mr Osei-Bosu does not seem to know that there is an Afadjato-size-difference between representing a political party on one hand, and speaking for a lobbyist on the other hand.

So there you have it Ghana - $1.9 million to a lobbyist in Washington and still counting, with political events to support. So let us ask Mrs. Duncan-Williams, how much of all that “capital” did you leave in Ghana, for Ghana?

EXTRA HOMEWORK – Please help banish Sekyi-Saliatis, the Ghanaian human, socio-political, and governance condition characterized by persistent but totally reasonable request for information from public officials, and unrelenting denial of access to requested information, information that has no national security or private interest value, whatsoever! (Prof Lungu, 2008)).

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FOIB – Are You Pickable?

Prof Lungu

Tokyo, Japan

4 July 2008