What people are saying about the movie documentary “Big Men,” directed by Emmy Award-nominated director Rachel Boynton, Executive-Produced by Brad Pitt, and featuring some of George Owusu’s story . “Astonishing! This cool and incisive snapshot of global capitalism at work is as remarkable for its access as for its refusal to judge.” —Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times, Critic’s Pick “A great one. Richly detailed. First Rate.” —Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice “Unforgettable!” —Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times “Brilliant! If you want to see how the world works . you need to see ‘Big Men,’ a remarkable new investigative documentary about oil, money, Africa and America . Vivid, compassionate, unstinting.” —Andrew O’Hehir, Salon.com, Pick of the Week IN PURSUIT OF JUBILEE A TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST MAJOR OIL DISCOVERY IN GHANA GEORGE YAW OWUSU with M. Rutledge McCall Dedicated to my wife Angelina Owusu, my father Opanin Yaw Owusu, mother Madam Margaret Afia Mansa and grandfather Reverend Yaw Adu-Badu FOREWORD In Pursuit of Jubilee tells the story of a man’s courage, conviction, pa- triotism and resilience, a man whose unique story serves as a source of inspiration to all who seek to help transform their communities in par- ticular, and humanity in general in the face of unrelenting challenges, intrigues, sabotage and skepticism. Not surprisingly, the announcement of the Jubilee Field oil discov- ery was met with some skepticism and disbelief in certain political and industry circles. Against the backdrop of earlier discoveries not having turned out to be “major hits,” perhaps the skepticism and disbelief were understandable. Parliamentary proceedings as captured in The Hansard of June 19, 2007 provide ample manifestation of this. As if that weren’t enough, rumors began to surface relative to the role of the EO Group and the interest of its principals in the persons of Mr. George Yaw Owusu and Dr. Kwame Bawuah–Edusei in the Petroleum Agreement, which constituted the basis for the exploration and under- takings of the Jubilee Partners in the West Cape Three Points Block. The two gentlemen were tagged “NPP”—a political party in Ghana. Their EO Group was projected as fronting for President Kufuor and his party, the NPP, and, driven by lack of knowledge and in some cases by a combination of sheer ignorance, mischief and malice, some polit- ically motivated circles began to question their equity of 3.5% in the share-holding structure of Jubilee Field Partners. The author of this book has done great justice to the specifics of the nightmare of protracted harassment he and his group went through to the extent that it will serve no useful purpose to recount the details here. But suffice it to say that the state-sponsored harassment reached a ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have had the good fortune of meeting many incredible people whose stories might not have found the light of day, had I not taken the time to document their journey alongside mine, and to take the opportunity to thank them for traveling this incredible road with me. Several brilliant men, women and businesspeople in Ghana and across many parts of the world were instrumental in my work in Jubilee Field. I owe it to these people to tell my story. I did not set out to write a book that would assault the character of those who leveled spurious charges against me, nor to disparage their decisions to do so. However, this story stands as a cautionary lesson for all of us, that in each situation we find ourselves, we must understand the repercussions of every smile, every handshake, every word and every promise given. In the years of my involvement in the creation of Jubilee Field, my name was subjected to many attacks, but none left permanent scars. I walked away with countless business and life lessons, most of which confirmed the fundamental virtues of humility, integrity and discipline, which I had learned long before I had the opportunity to join many great people in doing something great for our country. These key virtues never wavered, in spite of the struggles, challenges, triumphs and disap- pointments we encountered during our efforts in leading Ghana into oil and gas exploration successes. A special note of thanks to M. Rutledge McCall for his outstanding professionalism and diligence on this project, and his invaluable help which kept me going through the years of writing. My gratitude to Jim Barnes, a man who worked tirelessly, often without any monetary com- pensation, simply because of his belief in the truth and my innocence; I cannot thank you enough. It is through a journey as challenging as this xii In PursuIt of JubIlee that I get to truly appreciate, even more, the extraordinary leadership and tremendous inspiration of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. I owe a huge debt of gratitude for having been a beneficiary of your gen- erosity and prudent counsel. I am truly thankful also to Akenten Appiah-Menka, a visionary whose unflagging support and optimism guides people like me in venturing into opportunities around the world. I am grateful to have worked with lawyer Phil Inglima with Crowell and Moring, for his dili- gence for the truth and a willingness to uncover the facts of my case. You have a rare combination of integrity and perseverance. My thanks to the lawyers I met in the United States: Adrian Mebane and Femi-Dekula Thomas also with the Crowell and Moring Law Firm. To the team at McGuire Woods Law Firm, in the U.K. — thank you. To my lawyer, Kwabena Addo-Atuah, for your relentless work over three years, and for the work of my lawyers in Ghana: Sampson Obeng, Yaw Eshun, Abdallah Ali-Nakyea and Leo Kyeremateng for their local understanding of the legal implications of this case. I owe Joseph Owusu a debt of gratitude for his loyalty and friend- ship, especially with the Tullow negotiation in London. Thank you for standing by me through my trails and challenges during my de- cade-long ordeal. To Alex Bruks, Yaw Afoakwa, Kwabena Sarpong, Kwabena Kwakye, Egbert Faibille, Kwabena Owusu-Akyaw, Kwame Sefa Kaye, Ibrahim Mahama and Joojo Aboagye-Atta, thank you for your praiseworthy efforts. Kweku Baako, your relentless pursuit of truth and respect for journalistic integrity is something that the Ghana natives will be truly grateful for in the years to come. To those whose support and encouragement during this journey were critical and on whose shoulders I stood: Ernestina Owusu, Rebecca Aidoo (Mama), Geophysicist Alex Ababio, the late Moses Oduro Boateng, Theophilus Ahwireng, and Kojo Quainoo, I am truly thankful for all your work. To Ransford Boateng, who worked with me through some of the most challenging days, I pray for God’s blessing on your life Acknowledgements xiii for the reassuring person you had been for me. The Honorable Kwame Pianim and Honorable Kwesi Botchwey have both been a ray of hope for me, and I am very thankful for their wisdom and encouragement. To President John Agyekum Kufour and President John Mahama, your country, both now and in the future, will remain thankful for your diligent work and rare courage in leadership to ensure that this golden moment of oil exploration did not elude the nation. For many Ghanaians who would never have had the chance to see the persistent work of men like Honorable Albert Kan-Dapaah, Honorable Paa Kwesi Nduom, Honorable Aaron Mike Oquaye, Honorable Joseph Kofi Addah, Honorable Felix Owusu-Agyapong, Honorable K.T. Hammond, and Honorable Joe Oteng-Adjei, your service leaves a great legacy for the future of generations to come. I thank you all for your work. I had the good fortune of meeting Yaw Appiah-Nuamah, Opanin Kwesi Owusu and the late Naval Captain Amos Yaw Mensah, all of whom showed me much generosity and offered the sound counsel that I needed the most. It is men like you, of character, integrity and ex- cellence that encourage people like me to keep on forging ahead. I am grateful for your generosity and friendship. My gratitude to Mr. Steven Sekyere-Abankwa for an unrivalled objectivity and honesty, and for your unpretentious love for Ghana in doing whatever it took for its success. My friends in Houston, Yaw Mensah and Kwame Acheampong who trusted in the opportunity to make a difference and worked to organize the first conference that led to the discovery of Jubilee Field. Okyeame Essah-Mensah, Lawrence Frimpong, Jermaine Nkrumah, Dr. Sannie Reagan and Ben Asante have all been instrumental business thinkers and to all of them I owe debt of gratitude beyond words. Nanette Putterman and John Hauser, I cannot thank you both enough for everything you do, and with such grace and brilliance. To Jack and Diane Webb, I am incredibly thankful for their genuine kindness through the years and the invaluable support to the economic progress in Ghana. My grati- tude also to E. Obeng-Amoako Edmonds for his own tireless pursuit of xiv In PursuIt of JubIlee excellence that drives him to add value to every work. I cannot recount my journey on to the Jubilee Field without a spe- cial thank you to Dr. Kwame Bawuah-Edusei. You have been a great advocate for entrepreneurial success in Ghana, and I sincerely thank you for your own commitment to making a difference for your country. There are many more people I may have missed, both individuals and organizations, whom I had the benefit to know. I thank you all for your contribution to my life and the work of Ghana’s oil discovery that I am humbled to have been a part of.