Features
Big catch – Part
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A big catch
I was very confident that I was about to hit the big time financially. I resigned my job with Lever Brothers, and was well rewarded for my ten years loyal service. In addition to starting my own publishing firm, I had also invested my earnings in a fishing venture, after my friend Pa John had advised that it was very profitable.
Knowing that the publishing business would start providing returns after three years, I was prepared to work hard to succeed, with the assurance that the fishing investment would take care of my needs. Pa John, in addition to being a Project Manager at the Agricultural Bank, had also invested in the business, and assured my that I would receive decent earnings very regularly.
His boat was as big as mine, but he chose the long voyage type of fishing, his crew going out for three weeks at a time, while I chose the short, one-day type.
He assured me that my nets were better than his, because they caught both medium sized fish like tuna and cassava fish, as well as sharks. He introduced me to Kofi Prakor, the Chief Fisherman at Tema New Town, who helped me recruit a crew of eight. With everything secured, I started out with such great hopes that I asked my fiancee, Sabina, who had just finished National Service, to manage the business for some time, and apply for a job if she wanted. I was so sure that with money about to roll in, she would prefer to take care of the business that spend time in an eight-to-five job that would pay very little at the end of the month. Moreover, she did not need to do much. She only went early in the morning to ensure that all their supplies were set, and returned home when they set off. She returned about four in the evening to supervise the sales, give them their due and go home with the money.
But one year on, we had very little to show for the investment. Apart from Sabina’s monthly salary and the fish which she took home, there was virtually nothing by way of profit, and I had started digging into my savings. I discussed this with Pa John, and he suggested that i meet with the crew and talk things over, and let them know that I would have to take some drastic action if things did not change.
If, Pa John said, there was no improvement, then he would assist me to recruit a new crew. It was certain that the current crew were up to some tricks. But before I could even have the meeting, Sabina came home and dropped the bombshell.
‘Yooku, we’ve been together for two years, but things don’t seem to be going well. Your publishing business will not bring any earnings until after two years, at the very least, and the fishing investment appears to be a waste of time. I go there twice a day, and come home with virtually nothhing. I have been trying to help, but frankly I don’t like the environment at the fishing harbour. And my parents are worried that one year after my National Service, I don’t have a job, and my involvement with you doesn’t seem to show any good prospects. So Yooku, even though I am very fond of you, I want us to end the relationship. I am really sorry. If it will help you, I will ask my friend Tamara if she is willing to come in temporarily until you find someone. She is not working, so she will appreciate the little you can give her’. As I sat dumbfounded, she got up and left.
The following morning Tamara called, and I went over and discussed the business. She was interested in the job, which surprised me because she was quite an elegant girl. I said I would try to offer her a better salary as soon as things improved, but she shook her head. ‘Yooku, I know the situation on the ground, but I also like a good challenge. Let’s go to the fishing harbour, meet the crew and talk to other boat owners, and see how we can change things’. ‘I am very grateful, Tamara’.
A week after she started, Tamara called one afternoon, very excited. ‘Yooku, are you in the office? I will be there in an hour. I have something interesting to report’. She came, and over the next thirty minutes I sat with my mouth open as she spoke. ‘Yooku, your boat is very popular among the fisherfolk, because your net is unique, as it catches both medium and large size fish. Your crew have been playing a wicked trick on you. Everyday, they stop some distance from the landing bay, sell the bulk of the fish and bring only a small amount to the docking bay. I believe that if Sabina was just a little watchful she could have detected it. Now, it will soon be time for them to dock. Let’s take a taxi. We should be there in another hour. I want us to catch them in the act’. We hailed a taxi, and headed to the fishing harbour.
By Ekow de Heer
There is a culture that permeates all aspects of leadership in the advanced countries which I believe has contributed to the success in all aspects of their national lives. Citizens strive to excel so that they will not find themselves in a situation where they would have failed, to necessitate a decision to resign.
Countries where failure is frowned upon, it pushes the citizens to strive for success. In our part of the world, failure and mediocrity has become an accepted norm and therefore, there is no shame in failing in a particular position of leadership.
A head of an organisation mismanages the place and he does not see the need for him to resign. The appointing authority does not also see the need to sack him and so the merry go round continues.
It becomes friends and family as usual and if care is not taken, the rest of the world will leave us far, far behind.
The practice of resignation in parts of the world for failure in some parts of the world has to be institutionalised in our country too. It encourages the principle of accountability which is good for any organisation, sector of an economy or a country.
It promotes good governance, a necessary ingredient in the growth of the economy of any country.
When this practice becomes a culture, every individual, privileged to hold a position of trust, gives his or her full attention to the job assigned him or her, to ensure that objectives are achieved.
This trickles down to every individual down the chain of command and there are no rooms for errors.
That is how efficient systems are built over time and this is the difference between advanced nations and third world countries.
Where systems are designed such that people take responsibility for things that go wrong under their supervision or ultimate responsibility, there is evidence of development.
There are a few people that I admire in Ghana as far as this culture of resignation based on principled stance. One of them is the late Mrs Emma Mitchell. She was a cabinet member but chose to resign after the confrontation between late President Jerry Rawlings and late Vice President Kow Akaah.
She was not prepared to be part of a cabinet which was lying to the general public that Rawlings did not assault Akaah.
She was of the conviction that telling the truth is more honourable than telling lies and that if she was bound by confidentiality oaths to tell a lie, then she would resign and she did exactly that.
That is how we build a culture of truth and accountability. We have people in positions who have not lived up to expectation but are still holding on to their positions not prepared to let go of it.
This is a clear case of display of selfishness, trying to be a Boss instead of a Servant to serve the people, which leadership is all about.
The ineffectiveness of some leaders, often result in waste of resources which could have been channeled to other sectors of the economy which could have been more productive. A culture of voluntary resignation must be advocated for by all stakeholders, especially the CSOs, traditional leaders and the clergy.
This is the only way the needed growth in every sector of our national life would manifest.
Presidents, Prime Ministers, heads of reputable organisations have voluntarily resigned by taking ultimate responsibility and it is about time, we started seeing it manifest in our country.
The people in charge of our sports especially our soccer, can initiate this long desired culture and resign in view of the embarrassment witnessed from the defeat of the Black Stars by Gambia. God bless.
BY LAUD KISS-MENSAH
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THE QUR’AN FORBIDS RELIGIOUS PROVOCATION
There is a remarkable verse in the Qur’an which every Muslim preacher should memorise.
Allah says:
“And do not insult those they invoke besides Allah, lest they insult Allah in hostility without knowledge.” (Qur’an 6:108).
Think about this carefully.
Allah knows that the unbelievers worship false gods.
Yet Allah tells Muslims: Do not insult their objects of worship.
Why?
Because your speech may provoke an even greater offence.
This establishes a profound principle:
A Muslim must not fight religious provocation with religious provocation.
If someone insults what we hold sacred, we do not respond by insulting what they hold sacred.
If someone attacks Islam, we defend Islam with knowledge.
If someone misrepresents Muhammad (pbuh), we explain who is Muhammad to him.
If someone lies about Islam, we answer with truth and knowledge.
We do not allow another person’s bad behaviour to dictate our own morality.
LOOK AT MUHAMMAD (PBUH) — HE WAS INSULTED BEFORE WE WERE
Servant of Allah,
Sometimes we speak as though the Prophet (pbuh) lived in a world where everyone respected him.
No.
He was mocked and insulted. Quran 37:36, Quran 15:6
He was called a liar, magician, and a mad man. Quran 51:52, Quran 17:47
He was ridiculed. Quran 6:10
His followers were tortured, and some were killed. Quran 85:8-10
He himself was persecuted, leading to his migration to Madina.
Yet he remained the Messenger of Allah.
Allah said:
“Indeed, we know that your heart is distressed by what they say.” (Qur’an 15:97)
Allah acknowledged the Prophet’s pain.
Islam does not say that insults do not hurt. They hurt.
But the question is: What do you do with the pain?
THE DAY OF TA’IF: WHEN THE PROPHET (PBUH) COULD HAVE CHOSEN
REVENGE
One of the most powerful examples is the journey of the Prophet (pbuh) to Ta’if.
He went seeking support for his message.
Instead, the people rejected him and incited their children and others against him.
He was chased.
He was insulted.
He was struck with stones until his feet bled.
He was physically and emotionally exhausted.
Then the Angel of the Mountains came to him.
The two angels offered to crush the people of Ta’if between the mountains.
The Prophet (pbuh) could have said: “Do it.”
But he did not.
Instead, he hoped that Allah would bring from their descendants people who would worship Him.
This account is recorded in the authentic hadith literature, including Sahih Muslim (Muslim, 1795).
What a lesson!
The Prophet (pbuh) had suffered injustice.
But he did not turn his pain into indiscriminate revenge.
He saw beyond the offender.
He saw the possibility of tomorrow.
And this is one of the greatest characteristics of prophetic leadership:
The Prophet (pbuh) did not merely ask, “What punishment does this person deserve?”
He also asked, in effect: “What can this person become?”
THE PROPHET IN MADINAH: LEADER OF A DIVERSE SOCIETY
When Muhammad (pbuh) migrated to Madinah, he did not enter an empty city.
Madinah contained different communities, including Muslims and Jews, and there were also Christians who interacted with the Muslim community.
The Prophet became the political and communal leader of Madinah.
The Sahifah (A Covenant) of Madinah, preserved in the early sīrah (Prophet’s biography) tradition, established arrangements concerning mutual obligations, security, justice and relations among the communities of the city.
This is important:
The Prophet did not build Madinah by teaching Muslims to hate everyone who was not Muslim.
He built a society governed by covenant, responsibility and justice.
Allah says:
“Allah does not forbid you from being kind and just to those who have neither fought you because of your religion nor driven you from your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” (Qur’an 60:8)
This is not weakness.
This is Islam.
THE PROPHET DEALT WITH JEWS IN MADINAH
‘A’ishah (Wife of the Prophet) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) bought food from a Jewish man on credit and gave him his iron armour as collateral.
“The Prophet purchased food from a Jew on credit and mortgaged his iron armour to him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2068)
Think about it.
This was Muhammad.
The Messenger of Allah.
Yet he conducted lawful commercial dealings with a Jewish citizen.
He did not say: “He is not a Muslim, therefore I cannot deal with him.”
No.
Islam gave him a relationship governed by justice and trust.
Jabir رضيهللاعنه narrated:
“A funeral procession passed before us and the Prophet (pbuh) stood up, and we stood with him. We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is the funeral of a Jew.’ He said: ‘When you see a funeral procession, stand.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1311)
Another narration records his response: “Is it not a soul?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1312–1313)
What kind of heart did Muhammad (pbuh) possess?
A heart that recognised human dignity even in death.
THE PROPHET AND THE CHRISTIANS OF NAJRAN
The Prophet also received the Christian delegation of Najran.
They disagreed with him theologically.
Yet when they requested a trustworthy person, he did not choose someone because of hatred.
He selected Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.
The Prophet said:
“I shall send with you a man who is truly trustworthy.”
He then appointed Abu ‘Ubaydah.
This is authentically reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 4380–4381.
Notice something profound:
The Prophet could disagree with people without becoming dishonest toward them.
That is the standard we need today.
The author is the chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governance Expert.
