Features
My friend ‘Jesse Crow
Friendship is something that God has established as part of human existence. We sometimes do not choose our friends but it happens accidentally. Some friendships begin on a bus, a train, a plane, in school among others. A cousin of mine got a friend who became a link to a better life on a plane to Libya in 1989.
My friendship with Ofosu Appiah aka. Jesse Crow, however happened on SUTESCO Campus at Suhum, in the Eastern region. SUTESCO as I knew it back then in the mid-1980s, could be considered as the repository of Ghana’s independence. Once you gain admission into Form 1, you are sure to complete Form 5 barring death or illness. It is an atmosphere of freedom where you can choose to study deep into the night in the classroom with¬out hindrance.
Therefore those who were serious with their books usually passed well in the General Certificate Examination for both the Ordinary and Advanced levels. Those who chose to just pass through the school without bordering about their grades and final examina¬tions as you can imagine, also flopped badly. It was a land of the extremes.
The reason for talking about my friend Jesse Crow is the motivation of ‘heaven’ his memory gives me any time his name comes to mind. His memory motivates me to be a better Christian and strive to abide in the grace of God so I could make it to heaven one day. Motivation is a very important positive force which drives people to achieve a lot of things in their lives.
Things that motivate people vary from money, love, happiness among others. Some people have become regular members of a particular church now because they were first attracted by their songs, or the neatness of their washrooms or the friendliness of the ushers. Motivation can also be the fear of a negative consequence like being a law-abiding citizen for fear of being in prison.
The funny way memory of Jesse Crow motivates me is the fact that, having led a church boy’s life, it would be a travesty of justice if I do not walk in obedience to God’s word as a Christian and end up in hell and Jesse Crow ends up in heaven, in the hereafter. This is because of the things Jesse Crow had been involved in before he became converted and if the bad things I had done were to be compared to that of my friend Jesse Crow, I would be considered an Angel. Jesse Crow’s conversion was one of the greatest miracles of God on SUTE¬SCO Campus between 1984 and 1985. I recall the shock on the face of our then House Master, Mr. Amo when he realised that Jesse Crow was convert¬ed. He was so excited that he prom¬ised his full support for the Scripture Union (SU) group in the school.
A funny story is told of a day when his father came to the school to pay him a visit and for quite a while he could not find his son Ofosu Appiah. Apart from his classmates, who knew his real name, most students only knew him as Jesse Crow, so there was Daddy looking for his son Ofosu Appiah who nobody knew until a classmate came along and the chap asked him if he knew one Ofosu Appiah and he said “Oh, it’s Jesse Crow”. His father was surprised that his son’s name has changed from Ofosu Appiah to something else. That is what a school environment can do to young people who come from areas like Tema and Accra.
I am looking forward to the day that I would see him face-to-face and shout out his name “Jesse Crow” and the expected response “O rai, Body” i.e. Albright Buddy in that deep voice of His. That day would be a joyous moment. The last time I heard of him was when I was told that he had become a drummer in one of the Charismatic churches in Tema. Again I later heard that he had travelled to Canada. It is my prayer that both of us will continue to abide in the grace of God so we shall end up in heaven one day.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
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.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you are trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved. Last week we looked at three and this week is the remaining four steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
4. Find common ground
The best way to handle workplace conflict is to start with what you can agree on. Find common ground between the people engaging in conflict. If you are directly involved in the conflict, slow down and focus on results instead of who’s right.
If you are the mediator for conflict resolution between coworkers, observe the discussion and help point out the common ground others may not see.
5. Collectively brainstorm solutions
When deciding how to handle workplace conflict, it can be tempting to problem-solve on your own. Sometimes, it feels easier to work independently rather than collaboratively. However, if you want to achieve a lasting resolution, you will need to motivate your team to get involved.
Brainstorm possible solutions together, and solicit input from everyone involved on the pros and cons of each option until you settle on a solution that feels comfortable to everyone. This will help all team members feel a sense of ownership that can help prevent future conflicts.
6. Create an action plan
Once you have created an open dialogue around workplace conflicts, it is time to resolve them. Just like any other work goal, this requires creating a concrete plan and following through.
Create an action plan and then act on it. It does not matter what the plan is, as long as you commit to it and resolve the conflict as a result.
7. Reflect on what you learned
All conflicts offer an opportunity to grow and become a better communicator. Identify what went well and what did not.
Work with your whole team to gather learnings from the conflict so you can avoid similar situations in the future.
Today, I continue with my narration of personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland, with a focus on Mr Joseph Osei Amoah.
Mr Amoah is one of the senior members of the Ghanaian community in Finland and a top member of the Ghana Union Finland, an association of the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
He is an active and a well-respected person in the Ghanaian community in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah moved to Finland in the mid-1990s, and he has lived in Helsinki all this time.
Accomplishments and honours
It is important to recount accomplishments as part of the success stories of the personalities of Ghanaian descent in Finland in order to highlight their exploits both within the Ghanaian migrant community and in the wider Finnish society.
Mr Amoah holds a Master’s degree in Demography from the University of Helsinki. At the time he came to Finland in 1994, he had majored in Economics at the Bachelor’s level at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Sometimes affectionately called “Chairman” in the Ghanaian migrant community, Mr Osei is a former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) branch in Finland, assuming office around 2015, a few months after the branch was formed, until 2019 when he did not run again for the elections. He helped to bring vibrancy into the NPP Finland branch.
Religious life
Mr Amoah is a prominent member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland. In spite of his busy working life and other responsibilities, he remains a committed member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland.
He plays a key leadership role in the church, which is attended by many Ghanaian migrants and other African migrants, Finns, and those of other nationalities.
His position in Asanteman Finland
Mr Osei Amoah is an outstanding member of the Asanteman Finland, where he is the Gyasehene, a prominent position as a sub-chief in the Asante (and Akan) royal hierarchy, in the functioning of the traditional authority systemgenerally in Ghana.
The Asanteman Finland is an association formed purposely with the aim of supporting each other as well as to ensure unity among its members and others outside of the group.
One of its top priorities of Asanteman Finland is to display the Asante culture in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah finds this as very important since by upholding the traditional culture and heritage, the association enables its members and especially the young ones to get the chance to learn and appreciate Asante and Ghanaian cultural values. They do this through rites such as marriage, the naming ceremony, and death and funeral rites, which makes the people to learn more of their provenance and not forget their origins.
“My point is that, by displaying the traditional heritage it helps people to learn more about their provenance. For, I think it will be embarrassing to go home and see that even the young ones have much knowledge about how to perform certain rites whilst those of us in the diaspora may be deficient in understanding those practices”, he argued. It is also very important for the young ones who are born in Finland to learn what the culture of their original society is, he continued.
The Finnish educational system
Mr Osei has a lot to say about the Finnish educational system, which he sees as very good. “When we came to Finland, education was free. There were library books and manuscripts readily available in the library, and one could print or make as many photocopies as possible for your studies. There was more flexibility. One could read books and write exams on them for the necessary grades in order to complete your studies”. In his opinion, Ghana could learn much from the Finnish system, which is one of the best in the world.
He said the only initial challenge he found in Finland was how to master the Finnish language, without which it was difficult to get a job befitting one’s status after the studies. But things have changed today and there are many English courses so it is easy to study and get a job that matches your studies, especially in the area of ICT, he said.
His role in the Ghanaian community
Mr Osei Amoah has been very active in the Ghanaian community, as I have indicated earlier. He is still very active in the Ghana Union Finland, and has played a leadership in many functions organised by the Union, as a non-governmental organisation for the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
Mr Amoah has been a counsellor and mentor who has guided many young Ghanaian migrants on their career paths and has also been part in settling various kinds of conflicts between opposing parties or persons. In conclusion, I would say Mr Osei Amoah has succeeded in embossing his name in the golden pages of visionary Ghanaians in both Sweden and Finland.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
