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Showing selflessness, patriotism and dedicated service to national progress …Togbe Afedi XIV leads by example
A selfless humble leader is someone who does not regard oneself as greater than his/her team members. He or she instead, joins hands in helping each team member, does not feel embarrassed to be real and treats each member as family. A selfless leader will genuinely care for each individual in the team irrespective of race, gender, class status or other standards but rather treats everyone according to their talents and the efforts that they put into the task. That efforts, he or she believes, naturally inspire other team members to do the same.
SELFLESS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
Instead of commanding the team, he or she facilitates the members to achieve the desired goals. A selfless leader, will love to celebrate success together, thinks of the team, never allows any negative impact to reach the team and more importantly analyzing ways to improve and ensure the success of his or her team.
It is a fact that a leader who models selflessness inspires trust and confidence because people believe that they will be supported and protected. This level of care encourages people to emulate the same behavior, leading to reciprocity of the loyalty and gratitude.For me, there are three core principles for selfless leaders and these are, generosity, empathy and excellence.
LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
Similarly, exemplary leadership is a leadership style where you model the behavior you want to see in your team members. When you lead by example, you don’t just push your team members towards excellence but rather demonstrate actively that excellence. People demonstrate leadership qualities by offering to help colleagues who are having problems, being supportive and encouraging, giving credit to others, showing honesty and empathy for others in times of difficulties.
Even the Holy Bible states in 1 Timothy 4:12 that, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love in faith and in purity”. That shows the level of importance in exemplary leadership.
REJECTION OF EX-GRATIA BY TOGBE AFEDE
Having enlightened my cherished readers and patrons about the importance and significance of these laudable attributes to mankind in the schemes of development and advancement of society, I am inclined to relate it to one of the nation’s finest and important personalities in the chieftaincy institution who have shown and continues to show empathy and patriotism in our country’s forward march to prosperity.
The indefatigable TogbeAfede XIV, the Paramount Chief of the Asogli State in the Volta Region and former President of the National House of Chiefs has of late been in the news for a good reason. The 65-year old chief who is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Africa World Airlines and Board Chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak, keeps trending in the social and traditional media for having rejected an amount of GHc 365,392.00ex-gratia paid to him by the government for serving on the Council of State. According to him it was inappropriate to receive the cash when he had already taken salaries for his work.
REASONS BEHIND HIS REJECTION
He explained that his rejection of the payment was consistent with his general abhorrence of the payment of huge ex-gratia and other outrageous benefits to people who have by their own volition offered to serve our poor country. He, however, rejected speculations being bandied in some circles that the payment was made to trap him. “I believe it was paid to everybody who served on the Council of State. However, I thought that extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work for which I receive monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges. So I was very uncomfortable with it”, he said.
Honestly,I did not think that TogbeAfede who is quite rich because of the conglomerates of businesses under his care, rejected the money because of his wealth. To me personally, this traditional ruler, noted for his benevolence, rejected the money on principle and heart feeling because he felt the part-time job did not deserve such an emolument as he indicated in his rejection letter. This man is indeed, a loyal, dedicated and honest personality who deserves commendation from all right thinking persons. He has shown leadership by example and selflessness which must be emulated by responsible citizens in the society. Even though he rejected his ex-gratia on personal ground and would not expect his colleagues who served with him on the council to do same, I (writer) would have loved that it is not too late, they ought to follow Togbe’s shining example and decline the offer unless they have already received their entitlements.
TAKING A SECOND LOOK AT THE EX-GRATIA AWARD
The action taken by TogbeAfedi, has brought to the fore the need for this country to take a second look at this huge lump sum ex-gratia awards for some categories of workers such as Ministers of State, Parliamentarians, District Chief Executives and other Article 71 office holders for every four years. The present economic hardships need to be taken into consideration in the payment of this ex-gratia. The current practice in which whether you lose or win an election as a parliamentarian, you get payment of an ex-gratia is wasteful and does not help the nation. The way forward is to ensure that, those who do not retain their seats are the people to be paid ex-gratia and not all parliamentarians.Honestly, this payment of this ex-gratia as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution needs to be taken a second look and review if necessary, to reflect the present economic challenges.
SOCIAL INTERVENTION INITIATIVES IN HUGE ARREARS
Is it not absurd and shameful that while the various social intervention initiatives such as theLivlihood Empowerment Against Poverty ( LEAP), the Ghana School Feeding Program and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) are in huge arrears, the nation continues to pay fantastic ex-gratia to some category of workers to the disadvantage of the poor and vulnerable persons within the society? Such a behavior to me and indeed, all right thinking people, is callous and inhuman.Is it not the same government which told Ghanaians that in view of the economic challenges, we should tighten our belts? Is it now a question of robbing Peter to pay Paul? That is left to posterity to answer.
It is a fact that politics in Ghana has seriously been monetized with the payments of a lot of benefits to our politicians and that is why people especially the youth who finish their education without any working experience are all eager and anxious to venture into politics because they find it as the easiest way of getting rich overnight.
FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLES OF OTHER COUNTRIES
Just visit countries like India and Sweden, whose economies are far better than Ghana in terms of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and see how they are doing their politics. For instance, in Sweden, as I indicated in my last article about the need for us to follow their modesty and simplicity, there are no lifetime pension for former parliamentarians, MPs are expected to use public transport during sitting hours, the whole parliament operates with three vehicles which are used for official duties. Swedish MPs have no secretaries or assistants and they have to plan their own schedules. Public Service in Sweden is neither prestigious nor lucrative.
We are in a terrible times and struggling to come out of the woods and, therefore, we need to adopt practices that would not put extra burden on our economy. We must as much as possible, try to avoid extravagancy and live within our means. As a matter of priority, let us protect the public purse by cutting down on all frivolous expenses and conserve the needed funds to build our economy for sustainable growth and development.
The eminent chief, TogbeAfede, who is a profound businessman with a lot of companies at his disposal, has demonstrated that if we are able to cut down wastage in the system, we can generate adequate funds to meet our financial obligations.TogbeAfede has indeed, shown high level of patriotism, selflessness and sympathetic to national development and must be celebrated, rather than the criticisms and vilifications by a section of the society on political lines. Posterity will judge him for his positive action.
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By Charles Neequaye
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
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