Jonathan Kicks-Off $1.2m Image Laundering Deal With Article on Washington Post

In an attempt by Jonathan to ‘spin’ his image, with the upcoming presidential elections eight months away, President Goodluck Jonathan has begun his image laundering effort with an opinion piece titled ‘Nothing is more important than bringing home Nigeria’s missing girls by Goodluck Jonathan,’ that appeared in the Washington Post on June 26.

The image laundering plan is being handled by a high powered Washington-based Public Relations firm, LEVICK and would cost the Jonathan Administration$1.2 million U.S. Dollar.

The story that Jonathan has cut the deal with Levick first surfaced on in THE HILL magazine stating that Jonathan is committed to the rescue effort.

Lanny Davis, an executive vice president at Levick who is also a columnist forThe Hill broke the the story of the $1.2 million dollar PR Contract stating that “For me, after talking to him, the priority for President Jonathan beyond any is finding and bringing home the girls.”

“There’s got to be a way to amplify what he’s saying and doing to find these girls because over here in America, we’re not hearing much about his effort.”

One striking part of the image laundering is that Levick is partnering on the $1.2 million dollar contract with Jared Genser, a human rights attorney who primarily represents political prisoners. It is an odd, yet strategic move on the part of the PR firm, which may help to paint the Jonathan administration as ‘victim’ to both the Nigerian public, and international community.

Genser’s client list is impressive, reports The Hill. His list includes the Burmese pro-democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi, retired South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. Genser also began representing human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, currently imprisoned in China,months before he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. And now that list includes President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Arbitrary detention is, for better or worse, my specialty,” Genser said, mentioning that it has been about five years since he has worked for a foreign government.

Genser said his decision to work for Nigeria was based on Jonathan’s commitment to taking on Boko Haram.

“In terms of advancing human rights, however, the real work has to be done working with governments that are well meaning but lack the capacity — or as much capacity as they might like — and want to do the right thing,” he said toThe Hill magazine.

It was gathered that part of the financial breakdown of the Jonathan government’s contract with the Levick firm. It is a ‘fairly sizeable contract’ in terms of overall cost, according to both New York and Washington sources in looking at PR contracts in both American cities.

Levick will be paid $75,000 per month for its work, in addition to the extra costs of advertisements, video production and website development, and is working for the government through a state-owned media agency.