TO LOSE A 1000 LIVES

TO LOSE A 1000 LIVES

Last week Wednesday, one of the stores of the Melcom Group of Companies, a retail outlet collapsed in Achimota in Accra. A “few” lives have been lost. A number of people have been pulled out of the rubble as survivors. Some have been able to tell their stories, their horrors, their anguish and their shock. Ghanaians flocked to the venue and some lay men did volunteer to help pull out some people.

Melcom distaster

 The Fire Service, the Police, NADMO, Zoomlion and all other agencies including a supporting team from Israel have done well at helping the victims. I cannot say whether some are still trapped but I can say that if measures are not put in place, if the Fire Service themselves do not adhere to venue capacities and stop event organizers from overcrowding event venues, if they do not agree to event organizers filling aisles with temporary seats because of a few little cedis that are given to a member or two, a lot more lives will be lost. A lot more, and I dare say, a 1000 more lives will be lost because of greed.

Some audience at a show at the DOME

Greed because the Event Organizers k now very well the capacity of the venues, yet they always over print their tickets. How else will the venues get to be over crowded? Does the Ghana National Fire Service not have the mandate to shut down a program and a venue and end it all because of overcrowding? Have we not had many incidents of people dying because there was not enough egress as of the time of the calamity? What again was the main issue for a lot more people dying at the Accra Sports Stadium sometime ago? Why do I often see Firemen at Event Venues, in their uniforms, finding it difficult to maneuver their ways through the crowd yet they do not make any calls to end the program and prevent a disaster?

I watch TV. I watch movies. I witness a scene where one character is having a party in his apartment. I see a few people who are moving about freely and yet, next thing, there is a knock on the door, the party is halted and the guests are forced to move out. Why? Because the apartment has a limit on the number of people it should accommodate at all times. Here too our venues have limits. They are almost doubled all the time with the scariest part being the upper floors of the National Theater having all seats filled and having people standing there because the ground floor is totally full. Are we that greedy? Yes!

One of the many invited "foreign acts" to Ghana thrilling fans

Do we always have to wait for an unfortunate event to happen, hear our “leaders” talk and blame others and do nothing about it after a few weeks? Do we have to have leaders of these institutions who are clearly not doing their jobs still at post, even after lives have been lost? Do we care at all about the lives we seek to govern?

People get trapped and die through this Melcom Disaster and you have the AMA Boss still at post. All institutions that are supposed to check buildings and are directly related to this incident still have their heads at post. Is it not their negligence that has gotten us to this situation? If a Doctor is proven to have been negligent, what happens? If a Lawyer misrepresents the law, what happens? If a Graphic Designer gets so negligent as to use 2011 dates on a 2012 calendar, for which 20,000 copies have been printed, what happens?

In elsewhere, people resign over extra marital affairs. Extra marital affairs may not have any direct bearing on their work output, yet once it becomes news, they resign. Here, we have people who are so negligent that their direct work kills people and yet we continue to have them at post! Sigh!

Excited crowd at the DOME

In all this, while some politicians halted their activities in these rather crucial times to sympathize and support the victims and their families, we have other insensitive ones who make dry jokes about their opponents with this disaster. And mind you, after such a stupid blunder, this politician is still at post. Are we serious at all? I am tired of these media talks about building permits and what should have been done and what not not. I am tired of hearing them. Lives are lost. My concern now is that lives will be lost again and that is rather preventable. Let us work at preventing another disaster. I need support.

I heard Jon Germain talk about overcrowding at such shows and he admonished event organizers. Jon, in view of the looming danger, and with my acceptance that your voice is louder than mine, please keep talking. Keep pressing the authorities and the event organizers to be more sensitive. They should not print extra tickets. If the place takes 2000 and would want to give out complimentary tickets, they should sell 1500 and issue 500 complimentary tickets. No live is worth a 1000 more of GHC40.

Dear Musicians and Actors and popular Ghanaians, I need help with this advocacy. Please admonish the leaders to only fill venues to their capacity. You are you because we pay and come for your shows. If a venue caves in today, some will die, some will survive, you may die, you may survive, but should you survive, you probably won’t get a show for a long time and mind you this is Ghana. Rebuilding such a venue will take another forever. We need you to entertain us. While we all talk about all this, let’s focus on preventing another disaster. Let’s save lives. Please help. 

By Sakyiwaa Mensah

Office jerks 101

It's sad how a good education can't vaccinate a person against jerkdom. Office jerks!! Don't we just hate them? Before you answer this, make sure you're not one of them. I say this because a lot of people don't know just how annoying they are. Truthfully though, most people in a work environment are nice and warm, but work stress and deadlines can make even the most bubbly person snap at you if you catch them at a bad time.However, we have the all-round assholes, the jackasses, the schmucks.

So how do we deal with them? The best thing would be not to employ them in the first place, but sometimes, their true colours only come out after they have been hired.

Don't try to change a jerks behaviour, you're not his mother or shrink. I would say ignore them and they'll just go away, but i know better. It may work for a while, but these people are a special breed of pests, they won't stop until they get your attention.

You can't out-jerk a real jerk, so don't try. Be assertive,  not aggressive, when dealing with a jerk. He may have doubts about his abilities and status, so the last thing you want to do is challenge him on those grounds. Keep your cool. Don't give in to him and start yelling back or saying unkind things, because that makes you a jerk too.

You can also try talking to the jerk. As i said earlier, a lot of people don't know they're being difficult. Be sure you're polite and constructive in your speech, being careful not to berate the person.

We're not in high school anymore, where other kids will watch you get pounded by the school bully and do nothing. Stand your ground and refuse to be treated that way. If you've tried avoiding the person or speaking to him about his behaviour and you've still not been able to effect any change, it's time to lodge a formal complaint to your HR Manager immediate boss.

BUT if the jerk happens to be your boss, it's more than likely that your workplace is infested with them. Look for an exit strategy and get out!

By Nanama B. Acheampong - Editor

Age and Respect in the Workplace

What does age have to do with respect? Its Ghanaian culture to respect those older than you, whether they respect themselves or not.”The adult is always right” and “Children should be seen and not heard” are two sayings that back this belief. I prefer myself, to live by “Give respect where it is due.”

What about the workplace? It’s common to find security men, drivers and cleaners who are much older than their bosses. How must they feel, being ordered around by people young enough to be their children? Is it fair that this is happening? Is it even an issue?

Even though there are exceptions, the family a person is born into and the opportunities he or she is presented with most often determine how their life will turn out. Some people ‘win’ and some don’t, though it all depends on your definition of winning. Largely, we are made to believe that wealth and material things are indications of successful lives, but someone whose goal is to have a family of her own and achieves this, is a winner in her own right.

Hierarchy is important in every organization. It ensures stability, supervision and continuous growth. In an office where your boss is your junior, there might be some ill-feeling. You’re older than him, what gives him the right to order you about? If you’re nodding in agreement with that last sentence, you’ve got some growing up to do. There’s probably a reason why they’re where they are and why you’re beneath them. It might be luck or it might be that they studied harder and you didn’t, but whatever it is, they’re your boss and the sooner you accept this, the better.

You might be older than your boss, but how you are treated is often up to you. Being humble and effective in your assigned duties will give your supervisor/boss little or no reason to be rude to you. However, if you're ignorant and have a laidback attitude towards your work, you will get what's coming to you (if your boss is doing his job well).

How about the other way round? You’re the boss but you feel awkward reprimanding an employee because they’re older than you. How do you expect to get work done? Unless you don’t really care for your job, you’ll have to step up and shake off the uneasiness. After all, you will get the ultimate blame if something goes wrong; it’s under your watch.

Age shouldn’t determine who gets respect and who doesn’t.   Respect should come naturally, unless of course someone gives you reason to disrespect them, and even then, there are appropriate ways of ironing out these situations. 

Nanama B. Acheampong, Content Editor

OFFICE RELATIONSHIPS;YAY OR NAY?

Office Relationships; Yay or Nay?

Abena is considering dating her colleague who’s been asking her out for a while now. She’s tried to weigh the pros and cons but she’s still undecided about what to do. She thinks that despite the horror stories her friends have told her about office romance, she could still make it work with him. Should we wish her luck and leave it at that or should we help her avoid a potential catastrophe? 

If you think she should go ahead with it, that’s fine, but if you think she’s making a big mistake, put on your cape and spandex pants and let’s save a life! I know, I know. That was tacky.

Some people would argue that workplace relationships are a good thing, some would say there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with them and still, others would say it’s just wrong.

People like to be adventurous, they like to play with fire. That’s what I think you’re doing if you decide to start something with someone you work with. It could affect your entire life in a way you never knew possible. I’m not exaggerating, guys. I mean, think about it, say you have a lover’s spat at home, when you get to work, your employer will expect you to be cordial with everyone. 

How do you do that when you’re in a bad mood? What if you and your partner are tasked with working on a project together? Either nothing will get done or the work will be shabby at best.

What if the person is your boss? Your BOSS, people! Do I need to spell out just how bad an idea it is? Once things go sour, and trust me, they will, you could get demoted or fired just as quickly as you got promoted. If the person is your boss, just don’t do it.

On a somewhat lighter note, office relationships have been known to be successful sometimes. Tips and tricks? Be discreet, maintain your professionalism.

 This means you shouldn’t be found displaying affection in the office, it’ll just upset and disgust the people who catch you, and word will spread. You don’t want to lose the respect you’ve worked so hard to earn, do you? I didn’t think so.

Ever heard the phrase, ‘never get your honey where you get your money’? I think Abena should live by it. 

What do you think she should do? Please send me your comments, I’d love to know!
 

By Nanama B. Acheampong 

FAVORITISM AT THE WORKPLACE

Does favoritism help an organisation to grow

Working in a media house scenario, where one  gets to be in the good books of the Station Manager;  only after having an  affair with the boss: I will admit is difficult to survive in. 

Being in his good books mean: being on TV, getting tickets for all events, being considered and assigned the choicest responsibilities at all times. Such is the situation, I found myself in. For a fact, it was hard, especially coming from a background where I so much yearned to be a TV Presenter and a News Caster.  I was left with the choice of toeing this line of giving up on my dream.  Am sure you are eager to find out what happened; then get ready to learn how the fittest can survive.

Many would agree with me that working in an environment where a selected few are favoured is not the best. It breeds resentment, anger, jealousy and could even lead to conflicts. Favouritism in the   workplace means preferential treatment to one or more employees. The act of favouritism could be carried out through nepotism, cronyism, sexual favours and patronage. These treatment could be intentional or subconscious, but whichever one it could be, it is always best to think of how such actions might affect other employees in the office.

In my scenario, I felt resentment towards the favoured one; I had to accept that technically “she was the untouchable and the one who caught the eyes of my boss. But as human as I was, I also earned to  have that  attention until  that  day : as they say ‘Muhammad walked to the  mountain’ and  I  heard the  words “What do you think about the two of us; as an item”?  Stunned to hear, I just smiled and then I heard a voice remind me of the opportunity I had being longing for. Many days passed and the question was mostly hammered into my ears every day. After careful thought; I asked myself :  what happens if I am favoured and would this favour follow me,  if I should find myself elsewhere? Hmm, in my subconscious mind, I yearned and fantasized over the feeling of gaining favour in the eyes of my boss but eventually, I took that decision to say no.

As  I  scribble this through my experience I ask “how  does  one keep  their career  humming along, while being stuck in  the shadow  of the boss’s pet?

It is no gain saying fact that most people have seen or perhaps been on the wrong end of blatant favouritism at some point in their careers. So how does one deal with favouritism at work?

How does it feel being favored at work?

It’s your choice to decide to be professional and polished and caring this out – you try not to point out his or her faults to your boss at meetings. You could also sit with your Boss to get a clear definition of your job. In that meeting you could also agree on set targets you have to meet by the end of a particular month.

Researchers also suggest that you could point out this favouritism act to a superior boss, but would that help? One could also join corporate committees or other groups at work. By this, you would be learning your experience to colleagues in other departments. This I believe will help boost your confidence and credibility. Also one could deal with this act by becoming buddies with the boss. This can be achieved by getting interested in his likes, so that you always have something to talk about with your boss and also inviting him for lunch - that might lead to disaster!

As they say, there should always be a way out of every situation, hence your other alternative will be to look at the brighter side of things; polish up your resume and start looking for a new job, but if you decide to sit tight and buy time, you must know that your career progress could slow down, especially during this manager’s tenure.

Whichever way, learn to look at the brighter side of things; it could bring new opportunities with a better boss. If you are lucky and your boss is reshuffled, then those favourites get back on equal footing with everyone else. If they can’t settle in and thrive on their merits, they either have the option to follow their benefactor yet again or move on in some other way.

STARLIFE ASSURANCE CONGRATULATES CIMG MARKETING WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Star Life Assurance Company Limited has joined the numerous clients of L’AINE Services Ltd. in applauding the Chief Executive, Mrs. Ellen Hagan, on being awarded the CIMG Marketing Woman of Year – 2011 on Saturday, September 9, this year. Leading the delegation which comprised of the General Manager of Operations and the Business Development Manager, the Managing Director of Star Life Assurance Company Limited, Mr. George Kojo Addison assured Mrs. Hagan of his company’s cooperation and support through the years ahead.

He added that “we want to show our appreciation and gesture through our business and we hope to take this relationship to another level, to promote our products and brands through our mutual clients’. The delegation on behalf of the company presented to Mrs. Hagan a citation, a plague and some company branded gifts.

Meanwhile Mrs Ellen Hagan will be chairing this year’s Annual Strategic Marketing Conference to be held on the 17^th to 18^th of October, 2012 at the Golden Tulip Hotel at 5:30pm. 

The Confab is based on the theme, the Role of Marketing for Sustainable Multi – Party Politics. The conference which is expected to bring together marketers, professionals and administrators is aimed at improving the performances of these professionals in Corporate Ghana. The Programme is being organized by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana.

YVONNE'S SINGLE & MARRIED PREMIER

YVONNE NELSON'S MOVIE 'SINGLE AND MARRIED

Yvonne's "Single&Married"

For many who came to watch actress Yvonne Nelson’s first and latest movie Single and married, it was a movie with lots of lessons and mixed feelings.  For some critics, it was a replica of   the 2012 American movie ‘think like a man’. For these critics, they argued that Director Pascal Amanfo is known for what they will call ‘copying technique’.

But is it really? 

Well script writer and director of the movie Pascal Amanfo say that he has not watched the supposed photo copied movie in question. He 

explains that ‘in Single and Married, ‘I tried to portray why men cheat and lie, even when they are married and seem happy’. So I asked him, if the question of why men lie and cheat was answered in the movie? The Nollywood Director reiterated; that a married man who cheats, always remembers that in the end, he has a family to go home to.

If you are a critical Ghanaian movie watcher, you may notice that Pascal Amanfo is fond of using a narrator in his movies. For instance he used a narrator in Bed of Roses, Single Six, and now single and Married.  With what he prefers to call a Pascal Amanfo signature or EXPRESSION, the Nollywood Director explains to me that, it’s a technique he loves to use.  ‘For me, I feel the viewer gets extra information that was not provided in the  movie’.

The movie premier of single and married witnessed a star studded attendance and what I will call make a date with your favourite celebrity for a photo shoot. Talking to some of the characters in the   movie, actor Chris Attoh disclosed that the adult content in the movie, attracted him to the script.  He also added that he had never worked with director Pascal, so he wanted to help tell the  story, since it had to do with a critical social issue. Actor Eddie Watson, who for  me seemed to be playing stereotype roles of  a young man who is always cheating on ladies in recent movies denied that  he is being stereotyped, but for him ‘ Marriage  is not all rosy like it is perceived’.

Elliot, the new entrant in the movie admitted, ‘it was nervy in the beginning, was later comfortable on set’.

Yvonne with some cast in the movie

Yvonne with fellow actors who came to support her

Some friends and Cast in the movie

Single and Married has different characters fused together to tell the story. Except for it probably being a copied version of Think like a man, it had good locations, great make up, humour and a practical story line. Actress Yvonne Nelson produced the movie, financed it and also played one of the characters in the movies. Sharing her multitasking experience, Yvonne describes it as ‘challenging and difficult’.

A scene in "Single and Married"

Well for a movie, which centred on why men lie and cheat, the audience consisted of more women who had smiles on their faces at the close of the premier. Perhaps they found answers to why men cheat and how they can avert it. That’s, if it is possible!

Producer of "Single &Married" 

Now let me share one of single and married rules in the movie. Never introduce a single lady who has bigger breasts than yours to your dear husband. Did that make sense! Better yet watch the movie and be a judge for yourself.