‘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 widely considered a fundamental and essential aspect of faith in many religions as a way to express love for Almighty God. So the Holy Bible both the Old and New Testaments. the Holy Quran, the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), and the Holy Book of Hinduism known as the Vedas 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.
It must be noted that Jesus Christ is widely noted as the epitome of selfishness and sacrifice since He laid down His Life on the cross to atone for the sins of humanity. So we need to copy the selfless love as exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ by prioritizing the wellbeing of others above our own thus by serving or helping others in need.
God commands us to put our faith and love into action and do something about the needs of the poor. This command from God, is always echoed by Papa 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 serving or caring for others, you are not fulfilling life’ which is a decree in the Holy Bible by 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’. Same at Mathew 5:42, John 15:12 to 13 etc. Thus God admonishes (alerts 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.
Papa Archbishop Duncan normally says that if we have the means and fail to do 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.
Enter Mrs Rosa Whitaker Duncan-Williams nee Lady Rosa Whitaker (the beautiful wife of Archbishop Duncan Williams), a global icon par excellence. lady Rosa Whitaker, together with Dr Jim McDermott, a former Medical Doctor of Foreign Service based in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2000 and with the support of a fellow citizen of USA by name Hon Mr 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. According to them, the USA should open her Market to African Countries with the qualification of among others of upholding the rule of law and human rights and liberalizing their economies.
Thus Lady Rosa Whitaker, then a citizen of USA of African descent, now holding dual citizenship with USA and Ghana by marriage, as a an astute lobbyist, in April 2000, 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 include value added agricultural goods.
So, Lady Rosa Whitaker in April 2000, helped to develop and implement a Law which was enacted by the 200th 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. This was dubbed as the ‘African Growth and Opportunity Act’ for short AGOA, as a Trade law for action effective 18 May 2000.
By her exemplary acts, Lady Rosa Whitaker was appointed by President Bill Clinton of USA, thus under the umbrella, a Regime of the Democratic Party in USA, as the First ever Assistant USA Trade Rep for Africa. Her very honest, very good job and her pleasant personality, made President George Bush, thus under the Regime 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 renewal of AGOA for a further period to end in 2015 and lastly lobbied again for a further renewal to end in September 2025.
The approved products under AGOA that could be exported to USA on the duty free policy as permissible for Africa Counties with Democratic credentials with 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 especially for women and the youth and thus helps in Poverty Reduction Strategy in Africa) in the affected or qualified Countries.
Though the new tariffs of the President Trump’s regime is killing AGOA subtly, Mrs Rosa Whitaker Duncan-Williams and her Whitaker Group and others in Ghana, through her Minister for Trade/Industry and Agribusiness are seriously lobbying for further renewal after the September 2025 expiration date.
For the very excellent work of Mrs Rosa Whitaker Duncan-Williams for Africans, whose countries uphold the rule of law and human rights as well as liberalizing their economies, hence Ghana and others, it is recommended that Africa Union otherwise ECOWAS as well as Ghana, her sub region and second home country, should honor her as the most Influential and Important African Woman of our Time.
Ghana, (now Lady Rosa Whitaker’s dear second Country by citizen by marriage), participated in AGOA since 2000 to date and Ghana together with Kenya and some other Countries were made as the trade Hub for AGOA. AGOA has helped make the qualified African Countries including Ghana to make maxim strides in their Industrialization programs, due to the massive demand driven policy of AGOA and thus caused the enhancement of the policy of 24hours economy since 2000 with the resultant 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 and inclusive growth, thus a crucial way of ensuring sustainable long term development in Africa. So, Lady Rosa Whitaker has made Leaders of Africa especially Ghana to see Agricultural as a sector to drive Agro Industries for Wealth and job Creations. This notion of effective Agribusiness will surely generate more wealth, jobs and food security, this will surely elicits 24hours economy matrix, consequently, the creation of more jobs for the esteemed youth.
Lady Rosa Whitaker and her Whitaker Group have seriously facilitated trade and investments between the USA and Africa, through collaborating with the Private Sector, Governments and associated International Institutions. she has therefore facilitated in the past 25 years and she is still facilitating over billions of USA’s dollars in duty free trade exports by Africa to USA, as well as attracted and attracting investment and funds amounted and amounting to over billions dollars from USA to Africa in the past and present till the expiration of AGOA by September 2025.
The Government and the people of Ghana are hereby reminded or notified that Lady Rosa Whitaker is the real person who through the Whitaker Group, as the real corporate body encouraged and supported Mr George Owusu and one other Ghanaian to introduce KOSMOS Energy to 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. So Mrs Rosa Whitaker Duncan-Williams nee Lady Rosa Whitaker has done tremendously for the economy and political stability for Africa especially 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 otherwise one of the reputable the Universities in Africa especially Ghana and Kenya should celebrate Mrs Rosa Whitaker Duncan-Williams, the first ever USA’s Assistant Trade Rep for Africa as a true trailblazer woman for the development of Sub Saharan Africa. Hence as the most influential and important woman in Africa of all time. As stated one of our prestigious Universities especially the University of Ghana should consider to honor Mrs Rosa Whitaker Duncan-Williams by awarding her with an Honorary Doctorate Degree.
