Time for Africa Union to Honor Rosa Whitaker as the most Influential and Important African Woman

‘Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and He will reward them for what they have done’ this is decreed at Proverb 19:17. Serving others is sine qua non in the eyes of Almighty God. So the Holy Bible both the Old and New Testaments are full of verses on helping others in need. Consequently ‘Anyone who has two Shirts should share with the one who has none’ as at Luke 3:10 to 11.

You may wish to be motivated by other verses of God asking us to support one another. So read Galatian 6:2 which says ‘‘Carry each other’s burden and in this way you will fulfil the Law of Christ’ same as at Galatians 5:13 which decreed ‘You, my brothers and Sisters were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the Flesh; rather serve one another humbly in Love’. More at Mathew 5:42, John 15:12 to 13 etc. Thus God admonishes (alert etc) every person or every one of us not to use ‘our Freedom to indulge the flesh, rather we should serve one another humbly in love.

We must note that Jesus Christ manifested an influential selfishness when He laid down His Life to set us Free. So we need to copy the selfish love of our Lord Jesus Christ by serving or helping others. This is usually echoed by Archbishop Duncan Williams, the Founder and Overseer of Action Chapel International fame in his sermons to his followers and the World at large that ‘if you live in this world without doing something for God’s people or humanity, then you have ‘robbed’ (denied, dispossessed) yourself of a great opportunity to honor or please God’ or words worth the same. Let me also say that selfish acts by persons who can help their fellow human being in need but refuse or fail to do so, demo that the affected persons have failed to articulate or show Faith in and to God.

It is envisaged that it was for the above reasons that Dr Jim McDermott, a former Medical Doctor of Foreign Service based in Zaire now Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) with the support of a fellow citizen of USA by name ED Royce, a US Congressman mooted in 2000 the need for USA to open her Market to Sub Saharan Africa Countries by allowing duty free export of goods to USA by African Countries with Democratic systems that is with the qualification of upholding the rule of law and human rights and liberalizing their economies.

Enter lady Rosa Whitaker nee Mrs Rosa Whitaker Duncan-Williams (the beautiful wife and very good friend of Archbishop Duncan Williams, the founder and Overseer of Action Chapel International), who bought the idea and in April 2000 as a lobbyist, she championed for the reduction of trade and investment barriers to African Countries and Companies through the need to grant duty-free access to some goods to the Market of USA, these include textiles or apparels and other goods.

So, the then Lady Rosa Whitaker in 2000, helped to develop and implement a Law which was enacted by the 200^th Congress of USA and signed in May 2000 by the then President Bill Clinton into the USA’s Public Law 106 as Trade and Development Act of 2000 dubbed as African Growth and Opportunity Act or AGOA for short, as a Trade law for action effective 18 May 2000 to end initially in 2008.

By her exemplary acts, Lady Rosa Whitaker was appointed by USA‘s President Bill Clinton under the umbrella of the Democratic Party in USA, as the First ever Assistant USA Trade Rep for Africa. Her good job made President George Bush of the Republican Party of USA to retain or reappoint her as the Assistant Trade Rep of USA for Africa.

Consequently, the efforts of Lady Rosa Whitaker and her founded Consultancy unit in 2003 dubbed as The Whitaker Group (TWG) lobbied for the amendment of AGOA to end 2008, then in 2012, further on to end in 2015 and lastly a further amendment to end 2025 (next year).

As stated, The Whitaker Group and others are seriously lobbying for further extension after 2025 and it is recommended that Africa Union especially Ghana, her second home Country as dual Citizenship of Ghana and USA (Citizenship of USA by birthplace or by blood and Citizenship of Ghana by Marriage or Naturalization) should support her by motivating her to succeed in doing so.

The approved products under AGOA that could be exported to USA on the duty free policy permissible for qualified Africa Counties (with Democratic credentials and or good human rights record among other requirements), initially numbered 1,500 products. Later on, Rosa and others lobbied for other eligible 5,000 products to a total of 6,500 to ensure macroeconomics stability and inclusive growth (economic growth that generates massive jobs and helps Poverty Reduction Strategy in Africa) in the affected or qualified Countries since May 2000.

Ghana, my dear Country and which is also Lady Rosa Whitaker’s dear Country by citizen by marriage, participated in AGOA since 2000 and Ghana together with Kenya and other Countries were made as the trade Hub for AGOA. It is recommended that Political Leaders of Africa, especially the Leaders of my dear Country, Ghana must sit up to ensure Africa/Ghana and others makes maxim stride in the Industrialization programs hence enhancement of the policy of 24hours economy for massive macroeconomics and financial stability and inclusive growth.

By the initiative of Mrs Rosa Whitaker Duncan-Williams, it has been realized that Building, Trade and Investment in Africa is the fattest way for macroeconomics and financial stability, inclusive growth and thus a crucial part of ensuring sustainable long term development in Africa, especially in agriculture. So, Leaders of Africa especially Ghana must see Agricultural as a sector not only for planting for food and Jobs but means to drive Agro Industries for Wealth Creation and this notion of Agribusiness will surely generate more jobs and food security. So Africa Leaders must wake up from their slumber and see or let their people see Agric as Business not for jobs hence Agribusiness and thus elicits 24hours economy matrix virtually or consequently the creation of more jobs.

Lady Rosa Whitaker and her TWG are seriously facilitating trade and investment between the USA and Africa through collaborating with the Private Sector, Governments and International Institutions thus she facilitated in the past 24 years and she is still facilitating over billion of dollars in duty free trade export by Africa to USA , as well as attracted and attracting investment and funds amounted and amounting over billion dollars from USA to Africa in the past till the expiration of AGOA respectively.

It is unfortunate that some Ghanaian Politicians want to harvest the credits (good works) of Lady Rosa Whitaker for the introduction of AGOA for the development of Africa and the introduction of KOMOS Energy into Ghana for their Presidential ambitions or bids. Lady Rosa Whitaker is the real person who through the Whitaker Group as the real corporate body which encouraged and supported Mr George Owusu and one other Ghanaian and introduced KOSMOS Energy into Ghana that led to the petroleum oil find in Ghana in 2007. She accompanied the CEO and President of KOSMOS Energy in his maiden visit to Ghana.

At this juncture, for the very commendable good work of Lady Rosa Whitaker, let me conclude that it is high time the Africa Union, ECOWAS, the Head of State of Ghana, the Christian Community globally or of Ghana or otherwise and the Universities in Africa especially Ghana celebrate Mrs Rosa Whitaker Duncan-Williams, the first ever USA’s Assistant Trade Rep for Africa as a true Trailblazer for the development of Sub Saharan Africa, hence as the most influential and important woman in Africa of all time. One of our Universities should honor her by awarding her with an Honorary Doctorate Degree.