Prior to the formation of the European Union (EU), the history of Europe has been described by historians in several literature as centuries of warfare – bloody wars among neighbours and countries in Europe which culminated into the Second World War.

In 1950, the European Coal and Steel community began to unite European countries economically and politically in order to secure lasting peace. This subsequently led to the formation of the geopolitical and geo-economic entity, the European Union after the deliberations and signing of several treaties.

The creation of the EU was inspired by some visionary leaders who without their energy and motivation at the time, Europeans will not be living in a climate of peace and stability today. The Founding Fathers was a diverse group of people who held the same ideals of a peaceful, united and prosperous Europe. Their actions led to the several activities of countries such as Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg and the Netherlands which became known as the founding countries of the EU.

As the world joins Europeans to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, a very important occasion leading to the formation of the EU, I met with the Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Ghana, His Excellency William Hanna to reflect on the numerous gains by the EU, activities of the European Union Delegation to Ghana and discuss the relationship between the EU and Africa.

Together with the Protocol and Communications Officer of the Delegation and his Personal Assistant, the Irish diplomat welcomed me into his office for what will be an hour of exciting and informative interaction which ranged from his personal life and family, working as a diplomat to the role of the European Union and its external services.

Ambassador Hanna, who described himself as a determined and intuitive person is married to an Italian, Paola, who was born and raised in Tanzania. He was introduced to Africa in 1975 by Paola and the two later got married in Dar es Salaam in 1978. They have three children – two are working in Scotland and one is working in Ghana as a health economist. He is excited to have two of his grandsons also living in Ghana, a situation he describes as very rare in the life of a diplomat.

In 1973 when Britain and Ireland joined the EEC, Ambassador Hanna travelled to France to study French. He thought studying French wasn’t enough to get him a good job and for that reason, he opted to also study French and European Law, a move he has never regretted.

In response to whether he had ambitions of becoming a diplomat, the head of the EU Delegation to Ghana said: “I wanted to work for Europe. I saw Europe as a way of overcoming the narrow nationalism that was bringing my country to its knees. Becoming an Irish diplomat was a first step to working for Europe. I enjoyed the profession and once I joined the European Commission I continued to work in the external relations. When the EU set up its own diplomatic service, the EEAS in 2010, I was keen to join it.”

Before assuming his current role, he previously served in different positions on the continent and visited Ghana. In describing his Ghanaian experience, he said: “Tanzania was the ‘Alpha’ and Ghana will be the ‘Omega’. This is my ‘swansong’ – my last posting in a fascinating country which is in many ways a model for Africa, but which also faces many challenges.

The first time I visited Ghana in 1999, I came by road from Burkina Faso. I spent a few days travelling through the country before I came to Accra. It was a fascinating way to discover Ghana, and I still enjoy getting out of the city and travelling throughout the country.”

The aim of the EU Delegation to Ghana is to build a strong partnership with Ghana, promote democracy, human rights and prosperity and this is done through working closely with the missions of the member states in Ghana. Highlighting the unique role of the delegation, Ambassador Hanna indicated that his outfit is not involved in visas and have a limited role in consular work.

“The EU has delegations in 139 countries around the world. These are full diplomatic missions and the Ambassador is accredited to the President. The Ambassador chairs the group of Heads of Mission of EU Member States and we lead the regular EU political dialogue with Ghana.

We also lead on trade matters, which is an exclusive EU competence. We coordinate on development cooperation, where our EU programmes run alongside bilateral programmes of the member states. We are now trying to make these programmes more coherent, using a joint programming approach,” he added.

In the area of Arts and Cultural exchanges, Ambassador Hanna stated the position of the EU Delegation. “I am personally very interested in the Arts, especially painting and music, but until now in my work in Ghana I’ve been focussing more on democracy, trade and development cooperation. Some of our member states are closely involved in this area. They play the key role in investment promotion, promoting their own companies and making links with companies in Ghana. The diverse European cultures connect in many different ways – historical and innovative with Ghana.”

Ambassador Hanna further spoke about the White Paper presented by the European Commission last week on the future of Europe’s relationship with Africa.

“The White Paper will help structure the discussion at the Rome Summit and beyond. The Commission will use it as the starting point for a wider public debate on the future of our continent. The White Paper looks at how Europe will change in the next decade, from the impact of new technologies on society and jobs, to doubts about globalisation, security concerns and the rise of populism.

It spells out the choice Europe faces: being swept along by those trends, or embracing them and seizing the new opportunities they bring. The White Paper offers a glimpse into the potential state of the Union by 2025 depending on the choices Europe will make. It also covers a range of possibilities and are illustrative in nature. They are neither mutually exclusive, nor exhaustive.”

There has been much talk about the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the EU which is speculated to be connected to immigration issues, particularly the free movement of people. Commenting on this assertion and its implication for Ghana, Ambassador Hanna said it is regrettable, but can only be accepted.

“We regret it, but we accept it. I think we should relate the UK’s exit in terms of countries and in particular to Ghana as it is clear that in the short term to medium term there will be no implications.

Even if Britain decided to leave or is in the processes of negotiating her exit, the regime will remain the same for the next two years at least. I think the crucial thing here will be the trade and the trade relationship will not change, certainly not in the next two years and may not at all so we must wait and see,” he added.

With the pivotal role it plays, the EU Delegation and its activities ought to be promoted and their principles explained to people less informed about the EU Delegation. That remains one of the priorities of the Delegation according to Ambassador Hanna in addition to growing their relationship with Ghana.

“We need to explain better what we do and get our message out – not just in Ghana, but also back in Europe where most people do not know about our EU External Service.Our relationship will grow in strength because we have much in common in this world.

We share values of democracy and respect for human rights. Ghana continues to play a key role in Africa and in the world. There is huge scope for cooperation. I encourage the Ghanaian youth to be focused on their goals, work hard to achieve it and believe in themselves,” he said.

Source: thebftonline.com/Ghana

He is a man of many parts, and he undertakes each of these with so much dexterity; it is difficult to tell which of these roles suit him best.

Olufemi Muraino, until recently, was the Chief Executive Officer and Country Director of Global Solutions, an ICT and Infrastructure services and solutions provider. Now, he is the Executive Director in charge of Business Transformation and Innovation for Africa at Inlaks Computers, the parent company of Global Solutions.

As though this isn’t enough, Mr. Muraino, who is commonly called Femi, is also an Assistant Pastor at one of the local branches of the Nigerian-originated Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCD), in Accra.

Very few CEOs are known to be full time pastors and managing businesses, and Femi is one of such few gifted men of God who still run big businesses to profit and lead men and women in worshipping God every week.

Femi has led the transformation of Global Solutions from a little unknown ICT company to one of the most revered firms that provide banking softwares, and other technologies to companies across sectors to provide better services to clients.

Global Solutions’ provision and management of Temenos 24, the most widely used banking software in Ghana and the world, according to users, is second to none. Many banks’ IT department heads have heaped praises on the team from Global Solutions for the good works they do.

But in his usual modest lifestyle, Femi prefers to applaud his team for the great work over the past 13 years he has led them, rather than take the credit for himself.

Femi believes that the successes achieved at Global Solutions are not just an individual effort but a collective responsibility. “I achieved it with the help of the staff. We can have disagreements here and there, but it is all for the good of the company. But it is God who ultimately guides every man and his decision.

That is the way I have been able to manage. Leadership is not about the leader because the day you look back and you do not have a follower, then you are no longer a leader. But as a leader, you must be firm and let your decision stand strong,” he adds.

The art of balancing roles

To him, balancing these two spheres – Country Director of Global Solutions and Assistant Pastor at RCCG– is a matter of commitment and ability to know what to do at every point in time, and above all, leaving everything else in the hands of God.

“Balancing the two has to do with the commitment to what you are doing. It is important you are committed to what you do, what you intend to do, and the direction you want to go, but God has also been faithful,” he says.

Explaining how one can utilise time efficiently, Femi believes that there are two hours in a day that is wasted.

“What I do as a person is to use the hours that could be wasted to do the things God expects of me. People stay on the phone for far too long. From experience and a management point of view, everything that needs to be discussed on the phone can be done in 120 seconds, unless what it is needs a deeper explanation.

But in Africa, people spend a lot of time asking about everyone and everything, which are unnecessary. Technology has also made life a bit easier, and so you can use your phone to do a lot of work,” he adds.

The art of balancing both worlds, Femi notes, is all compassing and “you cannot really separate your spiritual life from business because you cannot have two lives! There are ways they dovetail into each other and so you cannot draw a line between my spiritual life and business life.”

Leadership and delegation

Femi, as a business and spiritual leader, believes in developing future leaders since no one is irreplaceable. To him, mastering the art of delegating should be top of a leader’s mind.

“Mostly, my evenings are for me unless I have an engagement that I have to be there, and if I my presence is not critical, I delegate because while I work, I have to build for the future and develop leaders of tomorrow.

I have learnt the art of delegating in my secular and spiritual jobs. There are certain things I do not need to be there as a pastor as. Once you identify leaders, empower and support them to do some of these things in your stead.

Nobody is irreplaceable. The Bible says that God said if nobody praises him, he can raise stones to praise him, and so no one can say he, or she has the monopoly of knowledge. You just need to find a way of working with people and achieving results,” he says.

Born in present day Osun State but brought up in Lagos, Nigeria, the man who studied computer science at the University of Lagos, came to Ghana in 2004 when Inlaks was looking for an IT genius who has the knack for transforming businesses, to turnaround the fortunes of the company.

Today, due to his astute leadership and foresight, Global Solutions specialises in IT Solutions that satisfy the unique needs of financial, industrial/distribution, telecommunication, oil/gas and utilities sectors of the economy.

It isn’t surprising that Femi is now the head of the company’s department charged with overseeing the successful expansion of the business into other African countries.

Personal

He holds both first degree (1990) and a Masters Degree in Business Administration (1998) from University of Lagos. Beginning his career in the IT industry in 1990 from a food processing company through the textile industry, Femi spent a couple of years at IT consultancies before moving to Inlaks.

Since then, he has not looked back and since finding God in 1999, Femi has worked hard to bring Global Solutions this far. He has moved Global Solutions from a less than 10 employees firm, to almost 50 staff with clients increasing from five to 25, and a turnover estimated at a 1000percent.

Olufemi has attended several courses/conferences covering functional and specific areas, held both locally and offshore. His specialization and skills include sales management, system analysis, service delivery, projects and operations management.

Femi is a husband and a father to three children. He believes that children must be brought in the ways of the Lord and with his work as a minister of the gospel, he would be doing a great disservice to God if he doesn’t do just that.

“What my wife and I have done is to teach them the path to go so that by the end of the day, we can have peace. I have three wonderful children with the eldest 19, and the youngest is 12. We have worked together and we monitor their progress, we sit down and talk to them and they are very much involved in church activities in various departments.

Since an idle hand is the devil’s workshop, we keep them busy in church work so they do not fall into trouble. It is important that the children are not idle. We monitor every aspect of their lives, academic, spiritual, and social,” he says.

Future plans

Femi notes that the plan is to continue to do what he knows best and improve on it. “At the end of the day, there is a time of gainful employment but for God, you cannot retire from his work: for my spiritual life I will continue to serve God even after I retire from my secular job.

I intend to do more for God and impact the people I meet in the next five to ten years in my business life. If I establish my own business along the line, then I will focus on building it, and hand it over to my children because it is important to leave a legacy behind.

We must teach children how to save, and how to be able to identify and appreciate people. They should know how to say ‘thank you’ and ‘I am sorry’, if not you are not bringing them up in the ways of the Lord,” he added.

Source: Bernard Yaw Ashiadey/thebftonline.com/Ghana

A young business entrepreneur has instituted an awards scheme to reward the best student entrepreneur at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The award, “The K.C. Amese Award” established by Kormi Courage Amese, a former KNUST student and co-Founder of Bluevyne Limited, an Accra-based startup publishing company will be given to the best graduating student who do not only excel with the highest grades but also to the one who have started practical entrepreneurial ventures in their own small way.

Announcing the award scheme at the Entrepreneurship Graduation ceremony held by the university last week, Mr. Amese who is also a former student of the institution said the “winner will receive a plaque, a cash prize, automatically become my mentee and directly benefit from my business network.

“My goal is to help inculcate innovative entrepreneurial skills and confidence in our younger generation and also curb the high rate of youth unemployment in Ghana,” Mr. Amese said.

According to the young publisher, he had a discussion with the university’s Publishing Department about sponsorship programme for the students hence the award which is aimed at boosting the entrepreneurial confidence in students.

He stated: “my relationship with this august institution and specifically the Department of Publishing Studies officially commenced in 2005 when I gained admission to study publishing. The first four years were tedious as I needed to make good grades and learn the trade of publishing.

However, the last five years of this relationship has taken a new turn, where trailblazers like myself who benefitted from this esteemed institution are given the opportunity to share our continuous success stories to motivate students and appreciate lecturers alike.

Since 2013, Mr. Amese has had the privilege to participate in a series of entrepreneurship lectures & events organized by the Department as a guest of honor or resource person.

Mr. Amese congratulated the graduating students and urged them to go out and follow their passion and continuously explore new opportunities to make a difference.

The ceremony was chaired by Edward Appiah, Vice Dean, Faculty of Art and attended by Abba Brew- Hammond, Head of Department, Dr. Owusu Ansah, Head of Department of the KNUST School of Business (KSB) and Joan Benson Nkansah Ntim, the winner of the maiden award who is the founder of the Belle Bijou Foundation which organizes free literacy and health screening programs for the less privileged in society.

Source: thebftonline.com/Ghana

Academy Award-winning film-maker Steve McQueen is to direct a documentary about the life of Tupac Shakur.

McQueen, who won an Oscar for 12 Years a Slave, has been signed up to make the film by the late hip-hop star’s family.

Shakur, who was murdered in 1996, had only a five-year career but has sold more than 75 million records and acquired a hero status.

“I am extremely moved and excited to be exploring the life and times of this legendary artist,” McQueen said.

“I attended NYU film school in 1993 and can remember the unfolding hip-hop world and mine overlapping with Tupac’s through a mutual friend in a small way,” McQueen added.

“Few, if any shined brighter than Tupac Shakur. I look forward to working closely with his family to tell the unvarnished story of this talented man.”

Shakur’s aunt, Gloria Cox, will oversee the film as executive producer and the film is being made with the support of Amaru Entertainment, set up by the rapper’s mother to release her son’s posthumous projects.

Shakur died in September 1996 in Las Vegas after being shot four times by an unidentified assailant.

He acquired worldwide fame and last month became the first solo hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This year two more films are due to be released about him, including the dramas All Eyez On Me and LAbyrinth with Johnny Depp.

British director McQueen’s credits also include Hunger and Shame, and in 2014 he became the first black film-maker to win an Oscar for best picture, for 12 Years a Slave. He is also a Turner Prize-winning video artist.

He is currently also working on a big screen adaptation of British TV thriller Widows starring Viola Davis, Liam Neeson, Andre Holland, Daniel Kaluuya, Michelle Rodriguez and Robert Duvall.

Source: BBC