RE: The Sale of Ghanaian Property In Washington DC

Re: letter from Araba Thompson

To respond substantively to the issues raised by “Araba Thompson,” [The Sale of Ghanaian Property In Washington DC] I first want to commend her for her interest in the future of our great nation and her willingness to attempt to go to the bottom of issues that she believes cast aspersions on the character of those seeking to lead Ghana. I hope she will focus her lens also on all the other aspirants – both NPP and NDC running for office in the coming weeks also – and that this is no personal vendetta of hers against me.

• Ghana’s current embassy at 3512 International Dr NW was built sometime in the late 1980’s and commissioned by Captain Kojo Tsikata, then a PNDC Secretary. Before then, the embassy had occupied a building at 2460 16th Street, NW, which I believe was bought during the time of our late founder Osagyefu Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

• However even after the embassy staff was fully moved to 3512 International Dr in the early 1990’s the building laid fallow and was unfortunately allowed to rot and become infested with rodents etc. I understand that both of my predecessors HE JLS Abbey and HE Eric Otoo put the building on the market as early as 1992 – but despite their efforts, NO one came forward to buy the building at a price acceptable to both them and the Government of Ghana. It was becoming increasingly an eyesore and a smirch on Ghana’s image in the Washington diplomatic community.

• When I became Ambassador in late 1994, together with the staff we set upon doing what we could to sell the abandoned building – which was then costing the Government and Peoples of Ghana several hundred million cedis every month in property taxes, repairs etc. For instance the leaking roof at one point had to be repaired to make sure that the building was still saleable.

• In 1995, barely a year after taking office and over four years after the old embassy was abandoned, we found a competent real estate agent in the DC area, (during a time that unlike now, property prices were not at stratospheric levels) and got the building finally sold as “agents” acting on behalf of the Government of Ghana – which had express instructions to sell the building since about 1990.
  
  

• The sale documents and prices and money realized can all be researched at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bank of Ghana and the Accountant’s General Department in Accra. At NO point did either the former First Lady or any one on the embassy staff including myself realize ANY financial gain from the sale of the building. That’s not why either of us got into public service.

• As you are well aware, I left a very lucrative job at the World Bank and the African Development Bank to serve our motherland, Ghana in the 1990s. Therefore I categorically reject the insinuation in Araba Thompson’s letter that something untoward was done. The documents are all happily available for all to see.

• With regards to the other insinuation that somehow “I bought” my honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Middlebury College in 2001 – I think again our sister does not have the correct facts. The degree was granted in 2001 to my great surprise – after I was no longer in office, so what political capital did I buy it with? Also my relations whom she mentions who are both Middlebury alumni were admitted to that prestigious school in 1997 and in 1989 – long before I was even awarded the LLD degree (honoris causa) – so how could I have used my degree to influence their admissions? It’s an insult to two fine gentlemen who currently work day and night on many continents to bring investments to Africa. Again you can check with Middlebury College in Vermont if you have any questions. When the degree was awarded it was highlighted in the local Ghanaian press – you can also check that too

• Middlebury College is ranked the “5th” Best College in all of America – and produced not only the first black college graduate in the 19th century but also Ron Brown, President Bill Clinton’s Commerce Secretary – who died in a plane crash in the 1990s. The LLD degree which this fine institution awarded me was previously awarded to the former President of Poland Lech Walesa, and later to the former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani among many other esteemed dignitaries. Did they also buy their degrees from this august school? Please let’s get serious and stop this PULL-HIM-DOWN-SYNDROME. When a Ghanaian anywhere gets an honour anywhere, it’s an honour for all Ghanaians everywhere.

Sincerely,
E. Spio-Garbrah