Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw Owusu
Saturday January 22, 2010.
President John Evans Atta Mills’s administration is making frantic, albeit confused, attempts to clear the air on the $48,000 Backes and Strauss expensive gold watch presented as a gift to Michelle Obama, wife of President Barack Obama of the United States, when the couple visited Ghana in July 2009.
A citation accompanying the gold watch encrusted with diamonds, which was described as a one-off piece from the Regent Collection Backes and Strauss, was stated in a release from London, dated September 16, 2009, as follows:
“On Saturday 11th July, Mrs. Ernestina Mills, the First Lady of Ghana, presented the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, with The Star of Ghana to commemorate and celebrate the first visit to the Republic of Ghana by the President of the United States of America, President Barack Obama and the First Lady.”
However, the Castle is not taking kindly to the news which dropped on the laptops of Ghanaians last Thursday, jolting citizens of the West African country.
A news release issued in Accra and signed by Koku Anyidoho, Director of Communications at the Presidency on Thursday evening to settle the matter, raised more questions than answers.
“Without any equivocation, the gift was handed over, neither on the orders, nor with the knowledge of Mrs. Naadu Mills,” he said at a follow-up press conference at the Castle, Osu yesterday.
He said although “all kinds of gifts were presented” during the Obama family visit, the President’s wife did not present a $48000 gold and diamond watch to the Obamas as presented by the American media.
“The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills, did NOT present Mrs. Michelle Obama with a Backes & Strauss wristwatch valued at $48,000, when President Barrack Obama and his wife paid a state visit to Ghana in the second week of July 2009.
“One such gift is the said Backes & Strauss wristwatch which was presented to Mrs. Obama on behalf of Ghana by B&S And Africa Watch Trading Co Ltd (representatives of B&S in Ghana),” he added.
On a visit to the website of Backes and Strauss, (www.backesandstrauss.com), DAILY GUIDE discovered on the home page, a boldly displayed headline, “Michelle Obama is presented with the Star of Ghana” followed by “Backes and Strauss were commissioned to craft this unique piece from our Regent collection for presentation to the First Lady of the United States from the Republic of Ghana during the Obama family’s visit there this summer.”
It went on: “Backes & Strauss London, in association with The Africa Watch Trading Co Ltd. and on behalf of the Republic of Ghana proudly presents The Star of Ghana, a unique and one off piece from their Regent Collection.
“As Masters of diamonds since 1789, Backes & Strauss, the world’s oldest diamond company craft and create exclusive watches, combining art and science, light and time. The flag of the Republic of Ghana sits proud on the dial, being the first to adopt Pan African colours.”
The Star is known as the Lode Star of African freedom, reflecting Ghana’s principles of freedom and justice, equity and free education for all. There is the “Grande Date” at 12 O’clock with a Moon Phase Mechanism at 4 O’clock included in the flag of the Republic of Ghana.
According to the firm, the watch was crafted in 18kt rose gold in size 4047mm, with 3 rows of ideal cut diamonds, 288 in total on the case weighing 2.35 carats, and the Backes and Strauss signature “Jewel in the Crown”, a .09 carat ideal cut round diamond hand set into the crown, adding, “Gold and diamonds also candidly reflect two of the major resources of the Republic of Ghana.”
Just as the issue was becoming clearer, the US Embassy in Ghana jumped into the fray, complicating matters further.
Information Officer at the Embassy, Ben East confirmed to Citi FM that the 18-karat gold Backes & Strauss wristwatch was given to Michelle Obama when she accompanied President Obama on his first visit to Ghana in July 2009 but claimed it did not come from the Government of Ghana.
Mr. East could however not disclose the giver of the gift but categorically denied it came from the Government of Ghana or Ghana’s First Lady.
He told Citi FM the source of the gift could only be disclosed after the US Federal Register had corrected an error committed in registering it.
Apart from the $48,000 watch, Mrs. Naadu Mills also presented six pieces of Kente cloth and two glass beads jewelry sets, each consisting of a necklace, earrings and two bracelets worth $615.
According to Federal Register of the National Archives and Records Administration Volume 76 Number 11, published on January 18, 2011, President Mills also presented a 31 by 47-inch portrait of President Obama with an American flag valued at $700. All these items had been deposited to the archives.
As at press time yesterday, enough pressure had been mounted on the company Backes and Strauss as they promised to issue a formal statement over the weekend to deny that the Ghana First Lady gave the expensive gift to the most powerful family in the world.
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