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The days following 21st September 2009 have been so much filled with news about Ghana's founding father to such an extent that I was a bit curious about the last one, whilst browsing the news. I came across "Kufuor Meets NPP-USA. " "Eih! This man, this could be interesting. Let's see the latest from him. We did not hear a word from him on the Nkrumah Centenary and could be very jealous of the fame the dead president has over and above the living ones!"

I read:

"Chairman Agyei Yeboah asked the members present to introduce themselves to the former president. After the introduction, he moderated a question and answer session. Former President Kufour took time to answer the questions from the well-attended meeting and those who were on the phone lines from different states across the USA. Below is the synopsis of some of the answers given by his Excellency, President J.A. Kufour. "

The questions ranged from "Dual citizenship" "recognition of the members of the diaspora by visiting executives of the party, ROPAA, Agenda for 2012, public relations, and curiously, the last question was:

"STRUCTURE FOR FUNDING:'

To which the president responded:

NPP USA Report: "He said hypocrisy has prevented Ghanaians from talking about politics as a business and that any need for fund-raising has been deemed as corruption. He advised that we should come up with creative methods to raise funds that are legal."

I am sure President Kufour is here referring to the CONTROVERSIAL illegal fund-raising activity by the Whitaker Group in Washington on the 4th of June, 2008, which had the potential of landing the two leading NPP Presidential candidates, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo and Allan Kyeremanteng in US jail! It is quite interesting following the evolution of this story. The first time the news broke out, it was The Enquirer that came out with the sensational find:

"In downtown Washington DC, two luxurious black Cadillacs, belonging to the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC, pulled up in front of Hotel Hyatt & Resorts, located on 24 M Streets, Nw, Washington, DC 20037 on Wednesday, June 4, 2008. In the first car, three well-dressed men in suit, namely Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ghana's Ambassador to the USA and Alan Kyeremanten, an ex-Ghana's Ambassador to the USA, who was also an NPP Flagbearer-aspirant, popped out of the vehicles." (See images)

The story was that the "occasion was a fund-raising luncheon hosted by The Whitaker Group, a company owned by Rosa Whitaker, the new wife of Bishop Duncan Williams of Action Chapel International, who was recently introduced to church members in Accra." It took less than a few nano seconds to read a spirited response from my onw grandson, Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr. In an article to which he gave the title "A Slapstick Comedy", he writes:

"Thus, it was quite interesting to read an article titled “The Enquirer: Akufo Addo Busted in America” on Ghanaweb.com. As usual, the sensational caption pointed to the comic thrust of the article, content-wise, that is..."

"What makes the article worth reading," Okoampa argues, "if only to get a great kick out of the intellectual levity of its authors, regards the embarrassingly sophomoric posture facilely assumed by these authorial scumbags and would-be mischief-makers. For instance, the writers note a fund-raising luncheon having been hosted by Ms. Rosa Whitaker, a former United States' Deputy Trade Secretary for Africa, under both the Clinton and Bush II administrations."

"The obvious semiotic angle here, of course, is that Nana Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) cohorts may well have breached Ghana's campaign laws. Interestingly, what the Enquirer writers predictably gloss over, thus readily giving themselves away as journalistic journeymen, is the stark reality of the fact that Ms. Rosa Whitaker, an African-American, just recently got married to Bishop Duncan Williams, a bona fide Ghanaian citizen and substantive prelate of the Action Chapel International." By: Okoampa-Ahoofe, Kwame, "A Slapstick Comedy", (2008-06-10)

The trouble though was that Ms Whitaker had no right to raise funds for the NPP in the USA. Indeed she could do so but that would be illegal. Apparently that is what really happened. I say so because it was a fact that Nana Addo was in the states for dollars to finance his campaign, and thos was the most high profile group, money-wise that he met. What is very interesting is the fact that even though the itenary of Nana Akufo Addo had been well-publicized, this meeting on the 4th of June is conspicuously absent in all such announcements. For me, the very choice of that date is suspect because it is probably calculated with the desperate hope that the NDC people would be too busy following Rawlings than to follow Akuffo Addo's dash into the Hotel Hyat And Resorts, 24 M Street, Nw Washington, DC 20037 on Wednesday, June 4, 2008.

Rosa Whitaker came out with an attempt at denial:

"JUNE 6, 2008 WASHINGTON,DC

Pursuant to a recent article in the Enquirer regarding the Washington, DC visit by Honorable Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (MP) to an economic policy luncheon hosted by the Whitaker Group, I would like to correct the Enquirer reporter that the event held on June 4, 2008 was indeed a policy discussion on investment, job creation and economic growth in Ghana and not a fundraiser, as reported. In fact, the official invitation specifically stated that the event was a non-political lunch discussion. None of the guests paid to attend or for their lunch; and funds were not solicited. Rather, the Whitaker Group utilized the occasion of the visit to promote Ghana, as it often does when Ghanaian leaders are in Washington, DC.

It is against US law to contribute or solicit funds for foreign candidates. The Whitaker Group has never endorsed political candidates abroad or contributed to political parties or candidates abroad. For over a decade, The Whitaker Group's principal and staff have helped to generate capital, jobs, and opportunities for the Ghanaian and other African economies. The Whitaker Group will continue to do so with the highest integrity. Please allow this statement to set the record straight.

MS. ROSA WHITAKER-DUNCAN-WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT & CEO, THE WHITAKER GROUP
Please contact Robert SanGeorge at (202) 293-1453 or robert@thewhitakergroup.us for additional information."

Source:
THE WHITAKER GROUP Continued    Source: Nana Akyea Mensah

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