AFRIPOL.ORG IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
How Nigeria
pays millions of dollar for lobbying in U.S.
From Laolu Akande, New York
OFFICIAL records in the United States have shown how Nigeria pays sums worth
millions of dollar to lobbyists in the U.S, especially GoodWorks International
led by Andrew Young.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice's records, the Federal Government
has been paying GoodWorks for such assignments as reaching out to Nigerians in
the U.S. to encourage them to do business with Nigeria, an activity considered
controversial. Observers wonder why the Federal Government, which retains
a fairly large diplomatic presence in the U.S., will need the services of
foreign lobbyists to reach out to its own citizens there.
Also, observers are raising questions why the Federal Government is still
actively in the business of retaining foreign lobbyists in the United States,
paying them hefty sums of money while Nigerian embassies abroad are often
cash-strapped and financially insolvent.
Ambassador Young's GoodWorks International, which was said to have made millions
from Nigeria as a lobbyist since President Olusegun Obasanjo's first term in
office, has been retained since 2001 by the Federal Government.
The U.S. records shows that in one instance in 2004, the Obasanjo administration
paid the firm where Young, a former America's envoy to the United Nations is
chairman, about half a million dollars to talk to Nigerians abroad to do
business in Nigeria. At the same period, the firm was retained to counter
proposed sanctions against Nigeria because of the asylum offered to former
Liberian President Charles Taylor.
Observers question the proposed sanctions against Nigeria regarding Taylor,
arguing that the threat was merely a red herring and was never expected by many
to materialise.
GoodWorks, it was observed, is about the only U.S. lobbying group the Obasanjo
administration has been using consistently since it came into office.
It is said that GoodWorks International could be paid as much as $1 million a
year since then. But the records did not indicate that the firm was paid such
amounts every year. This is because there are times when the firm will simply
say of its financial disclosure that "none reported."
An official of the U.S. Department of Justice, who receives the reports,
explained that when the lobbyists indicate that no finances were reported for a
period, that would mean they would make the financial disclosures later.
According to the U.S. government records, in 2001, when the Young's firm was
first retained by the Obasanjo's administration, Nigeria paid the lobbying firm
$560,000 for six months.
In the U.S., all foreign lobbyists have to register with and report their
activities to the U.S. government on a regular bi-annual basis.
In its report to the U.S. government, GoodWorks said it "engaged in lobbying
efforts in the U.S. on behalf of the foreign principal - Nigeria - in order to
advance the interest level in trade and commerce between the United States and
Nigeria business communities."
Again in 2004, U.S. records shows that GoodWorks received $499,999.98 "for the
six-month period ending March 31, 2004."
In that report, the lobbying firm said it "contacted U.S. government officials,
members of Congress and congressional staffers, regarding the proposed U.S.
sanctions against Nigeria for providing asylum to President Charles Taylor of
Liberia. The registrant also addressed the Nigerian People's Forum in Atlanta in
February 2004 on doing business in Nigeria."
In 2002, the second year that the Federal Government retained Young's firm,
another $300,000 was paid in March that year for a six-month period for its
services. For that period, the lobbying firm said it "promoted investments
between U.S. companies and Nigeria by arranging promotional dinner," and also
"contacted U.S. government officials to discuss Nigeria's strategic importance
to the U.S."