Thursday, March 28, 2013

Meet a PNB Ambassador: Nsoh Joseph, CEO of ESSOKA SECURITY and ESSOKA GROUP Ltd.

Nsoh Joseph



My Name is Nsoh Joseph.

I come from Mankon in Mezam Division. A “son of the soil” to be precised.

Presently, I reside in Bamenda in the Ngomgham neighbourhood and I am the CEO of ESSOKA SECURITY and ESSOKA GROUP Ltd.

From a very humble beginning of only 7 Guards posted at the Bamenda Airport, ESSOKA SECURITY has grown into Cameroon's leading national security company authorised by presidential decree No 2006/425 offering an exceptional combination of Security Officer Services, Anti-Intrusion Alarms & Video Surveillance Systems & Services, Dog Services ( Dogs & Handlers), Rapid  Intervention & Patrol Services, Escort Services, Tracking systems ( Guards & Car Tracking), Access Control & Time Attendance Systems & Services, Security & Risk Assessment Services to Individuals, Industries, Corporate Bodies, Government, Residencies and improving the security landscape across the national territory of Cameroon. We have as one of our references; the Delegation of National Security in Cameroon to tell you how trust worthy we are.
  
ESSOKA SECURITY, a subsidiary of ESSOKA GROUP was founded in 1998 with the main objective to recruit nothing but the best people to serve the best people thereby offering a real choice to our customers to have nothing but top-notch services unmatched in the private security industry and by so doing ES has become a changing force in the security industry emerging as the leading Cameroonian Security Company.

ESSOKA GROUP on its part is a Civil & Electrical Engineering Company, providing construction services and supplies of various types of building materials. It also entails a fashion line.

ESSOKA GROUP LTD started in Bamenda in the year 1995 and has grown to cover the entire national territory of Cameroon, rendering its services to the State of Cameroon, European Union, Don Japonese and many other national and multinational institutions.

The people of the NORTH West Region are steadfast, hardworking, humble, intelligent, welcoming and most importantly visionaries.

The Region has a breath-taking topography which translates into a great environment for meditation and reflection and thus provides a unique breeding ground for its people to excel in whatever they set to do.

My involvement in the development of Bamenda is to create more and more jobs to the inhabitants in a bit to fight unemployment, build better homes for the people and fight against banditry and safety by providing a much secured environment to an emerging economy as Bamenda’s.

Project New Bamenda is a well calculated initiative that will impact Bamenda and the North West Region positively which is our collective desire as ambassadors of growth.

There is a great hope for Bamenda and the North West Region, if its people uphold to their steadfastness and continue to take every opportunity and translating them into meaningful developmental endeavours for self-sustenance, which of course will boomerang in the growth and expansion of the Region.    

One Last One

My favourite places in the North West Region are the green pastures, mountains, lakes and the forests





Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Imagine a New Bamenda...




Imagine a New Bamenda...
Where everything and everyone matters
And what matters is not where you come from but where you are going to
Where every potential translates into greatness
And the desire for growth meets with great opportunities
Imagine a new era in business and excellence, inspired by your quest for change
Where there is a reward to hard work
Then the world listens to your ideas and dances to your music
In one breathtaking moment, we are changing dreams into realities.
             - Walters N. Ntumngia




Thursday, March 21, 2013

How to become a millionaire in the New Bamenda: An answer to why there are no more billionaires in Bamenda? (Part I)





Have the “billionaire years” that once upon a time were evident in the North West Region been replaced with a new era of self-destructive businessmen?

This question lingers on the minds of the inhabitants of the region who for years to come will mourn the deaths of some of Bamenda’s finest and wealthiest tycoons like Pa Nanga, Puwo Jonas and Jean Tatsa. These were some of the few businessmen who made the region proud.

Looking around these days, it is difficult to predict who would carry on the torch of entrepreneurship that these fallen giants held so high most of the days of their lives.

We can’t help but marvel at how some of these men who arose from backgrounds of hardship, limited education and even poor health (note that Jean Tatsa died with his vision impaired), built business empires on such solid foundations that at the time of their demise were among the biggest in the country. Time alone will tell whether their children will be able to keep them going.

It is often said that these men built their businesses relying on luck and practicing monopoly at a time when the opportunities for growth were still there.  Luck, monopoly, opportunity... these terms may seem to conjure negative connotations, but they are actually what smart businessmen the world over have employed to advantage, and they still work till date. Opportunity simply means strategically positioning your business so that you are repeatedly able and ready to fill a need when it arises. Monopoly means dominating rival businesses by encroaching on their market share and this can only happen if you constantly strive to be the best at what you do.  The days when businessmen relied more on luck than on strategy to make a buck are long gone. Somebody defined “LUCK as Laboring Under Correct Knowledge”. Failure to harness luck and opportunity and running your shop with a “monopoly mentality” is like laboring with no strategy. More often than not in these parts, such businessmen start accusing their rivals of practicing voodoo on them when they see their business spiraling into thin air for no apparent reason. Tycoons have become a rare breed in these parts not only to death, but to mental stagnation. A lack of a spirit of innovation has led to the demise of businesses that once upon a time were flourishing.

However, as Norman Peale said, “Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don’t have any problems, you don’t get any seeds.” Let us examine some of the factors inhibiting growth in the region.

1)      Financial Literacy.
Recently, I was talking with my long time friend and Coach Edison Fru Ndi and I realized that in his early years in business, he faced the same problem that I am currently facing on the question of the proper time to invest in a car. He had to decide whether to lay out cash on a car or invest in the growth of what is now Dreamland Holdings. He chose the latter not because a car was not important but because the timing was not right. He had to build a solid foundation for his business. A car at that time would have been a liability to the growth of his business so he postponed it. Some would think that he was being selfish to himself, but he was just being financially literate, better explained in building construction. Constructing a 9 storey building like the new CAMCCUL structure at the Commercial Avenue requires that you dig a deep hole and pour in a concrete foundation.  On the contrary, if you are to build a three-bedroom house in the neighborhood, all you need do is pour a six inch layer of concrete and you are good to go. Most people in their drive to get rich are building a CAMCCUL-type structure on a six inch foundation.

The businessmen mentioned above built solid foundations that enabled their businesses to grow into empires. The only education that all of them exhibited was in nurturing what they had made. They followed the golden principle of “it’s not how much money you can make, but how much money you can make and keep”. As Robert T. Kiyosaki puts it in his book RICH DAD, POOR DAD, ‘‘most people struggle financially because they do not know the difference between a liability and an asset’’. According to him, financial literacy is differentiating between assets and liabilities and knowing which to acquire at every given time. He believes that ‘‘rich people acquire assets and the poor and middle class acquire liabilities’’.

An asset is whatever a businessman acquires that makes his business grow with a commensurate growth in income. On the other hand, liabilities are those things he acquires that make his expenses seem to always keep up with the income, never allowing him to invest in assets. Most businessmen nowadays treat their liabilities as their primary assets instead of pruning them and investing in income-generating assets.
This is because most business practices in Bamenda are not tailored towards the kind of growth that produces millionaires, but are considered as ‘high risk’ ventures due to poor financial education.

2)      Marketing.
Once upon a time, there was an all-round limited supply of goods and services in this region. During that period, marketing was so easy such that all a marketer had to do was transport goods and services to a waiting market. This period was known as product oriented period where there were more consumers chasing the few available goods and services.

This cycle brought things to a period when there was an influx of goods and services and in such variety that the consumer had more than one option in making the buying decision. During this period, producers and service providers tried to force consumers to buy what they had already produced. This “product oriented” period was characterized by exaggerated claims on the part of the marketers.

In this day and age, marketing has completely evolved to the level where goods and services are designed and produced to meet the exact needs of the consumers. This is what economists call the “market oriented” era, which is characterized by research and sample survey so as not to produce what consumers will not buy.

If we were to categorize these periods into phases and where the average businessman in Bamenda falls, you will realize that marketing in this region is still at the level of the early period of the second phase, the product oriented period. For a proper business incubation and growth, entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs in the region and beyond need to evolve to the marketing oriented style of business operations which is the appropriate business practice for winning ventures.

3)      Business copycats.
It is difficult to do something well if you don't feel passionate about it. Most entrepreneurs in the North West region enter into ventures just because they have seen some enterprising persons make a success of it. In the last two years, there has been a proliferation of cabarets in Bamenda after Dreamland cabaret was opened. Before the cabaret boom, there was the hair salon, taxi, “bend-skin”, restaurant, car parts etc. The most recent has been the hotel boom. All these ventures shut down even faster than they started because the financial numbers proved not to pan out as well as was anticipated. This influx of copycats vulgarizes the business and stalls the growth of the pioneers because they diminish their market share. 

This observation is not to discourage competition in the business. Rather, I want to challenge and persuade would-be investors to put their money in a business that they love, and they will find themselves prospering. If what they want to venture into is what they truly love doing, then so be it. After all, competition is good for both the businessman and the consumer. 

To really make money demands growing a business and this takes patience and time. Be sure it's something you want to do. Something related to a life-long hobby or interest is ideal.  
In addition, the business you venture into must be something you are psychologically and physically suited to do. This is not the same as loving it. Some people are more outgoing and social than others. Other people are more reserved. Each is suited to building different types of businesses. Needless to say, a business that demands much person-to-person contact with customers might not be ideal for the introvert. Yet, such a person could very successfully run a courier or Internet-based company.

To be continued.....

Read Part II of this post below





How to become a millionaire in the New Bamenda: An answer to why there are no more billionaires in Bamenda? (Part II)

Read Part I of this post here

1)      The employer/employee divide.
Poor employer/employee relationships limit growth up to 60% of the time. According to Mr. Dennis Tawah in an interview published in the December 2008 edition of Upgrade magazine, ‘‘there is a general fear of bestowing trust in employees’’. Mr. Tawah who is now the supply chain manager of Canon in the United Arab Emirate, worked in Bamenda for years. He feels that this is because employees are not usually involved in the decision making process of the day to day running of most companies. He goes further to explain that ‘‘employers need to show their employees that their opinions count, that they are not only their bosses but colleagues as well’’.  

Mr. Acha, the manager of Dreamland Restaurant, a household name in the restaurant business, attests to this statement citing the cold relationship he has with his boss. “I don’t remember the last time I had a five minute chat with my boss”, he says. This could be construed to mean trust in him on the part of his boss, but is it not safe to conclude that employees need a degree of latitude from their employers to be able to perform at optimum capacity? This brings us to the following point:

2)      Lack of trust in employees.
Most employers in Bamenda tend to be the ‘‘do it yourself ’’ bosses. While most employees will complain that their bosses do not trust them to make wise decisions relating to the business, employers on the other hand do not hesitate in aggressively highlighting every mistake they make.  Talking to Jacky Sendze, the CEO of Bambuiy Engineering on the issue, she was quick to point out that most workers deliberately do not want to make decisions because of fear that it could backfire if things go wrong, even when they have the authority to do so. “There is nothing wrong in failing so you can be corrected subsequently. Shying away from these responsibilities only makes workers lazy and the bulk of the work comes back to the bosses”, she adds.

Could this be the same reason why most companies with their headquarters out of Bamenda make all the decisions on behalf of their branch managers? What role do branch managers therefore play if power is so centralized?  Numvi Wallace a Cameroonian studying in Denmark now in Cameroon on research on the topic of decentralization remarks that ‘bottom up decision making is more productive since those at the bottom are in direct contact with the challenges and can make sound decisions in relation to these problems more than those at the top of the pyramid’. On the contrary the top-down decision-making structure means that business units are unable to respond rapidly to competitive trends. This is one of the reasons why nimble start-up companies, with few managerial layers to wade through are often able to surprise their larger competitors and claim a profitable niche in the marketplace.

Only agile and resilient organizations – and people – will thrive and make billions in this new era. Employers must allow the employees to have the audacity to take bold steps, learn from their mistakes and make corrections quickly and accordingly. This means employees should be deployed in flexible project teams rather than confined to a single pre-defined job. But at the same time, individual accountability must be clearly delineated from team accountability. This makes for a results-oriented and fast-paced organization where a culture of shared values and principles exists, an empowered work force that has permission to take action, and a broad network of colleagues working under common standards with shared goals, of course with the guidance of bosses.

3)      Lack of proper training of employees.
Why would an organization be reluctant to invest in training its employees if it makes them more skilled?

There are four resources all organizations must manage: money, equipment, information, and people. Investment in better equipment will speed up production and reduce waste. Information is power. Data about products, prices and customers are essential to every business. Investment in training and development of employees makes them more productive and effective in their jobs. Even a moderate training can have a substantial effect. The purpose of training and management development programs is to improve the employee’s competence and organizational capabilities. When the organization invests in improving the knowledge and skills of its employees, the investment is returned in the form of more productive and effective employees.

Unfortunately, most employers have a bias about the training and development of their employees. To some employers, they do not see any direct return on investment (ROI). To some others, the fear is that training makes their employees more likely to being whisked away by other employers offering a bigger carrot.
Identifying a problem is half solving it. Employers should sit up and do just the right thing. Employers should invest in capacity building within their company structures to see their companies grow.

4)      Remuneration.
Entrepreneurs in Bamenda have yet to find the one silver bullet that can ensure sustainability and growth in a weak and struggling economy. A certain degree of growth comes from improving a company's performance from within and that requires an energized, innovating talent force. It is surprisingly tough attracting and retaining talent despite high unemployment. Many companies in the North West can’t find enough skilled people, such as marketers and managers which are in short supply. This, however, is attributed to very small pay packages, accorded to employees, reason why they migrate out of the region to seek greener pastures in big cities like Yaoundé and Douala.  “Our salaries are very low. It is for the lack in motivation and incentives that we must look for alternative means to make ends meet. Picking up two or three passengers as we go along helps us a lot...” a bus driver who refuses to identify himself protests. This of course is one of the reasons why majority of the accidents on our highways only works to the disadvantage of the transport companies.

5)      Greed.
In Bamenda, greed has not only become an acceptable phenomenon, it has become legal. It is greed that makes people amass wealth irrespective of whom they trample upon or who they take from. This attitude stifles the young from dreaming, thereby killing potential billionaires. It is greed that makes those who have “made it” to take from those who are still on their way up the ladder of growth. Greed gives unscrupulous folks the temerity to take advantage of the weak, stripping them of their will to live for something as opposed to just living.   

Business should be a fair game. You give something to get something in return.  The average businessman in the North West takes something for nothing 80% of the time. How much love can you show your community or your country than to give back some of what they gave to you? 

6)      Weak organizational structures
An organizational structure refers to the pattern or structure of jobs as well as responsibilities in an organization. A structure is composed of departments or divisions within a specific management hierarchy and how these inter-relate. It should also provide a set of rules and procedures for each department as well as a rough outline of high-level goals. In clearer terms, an organizational structure will refer to how the various departments within an enterprise inter-relate. It is imperative to note here that all departments rely on each other, meshing smoothly for the growth of the organization.

A well-structured system has the obvious positive effects on the company.

Business people have yet to realize that for any business to thrive in a rapidly changing environment like Bamenda, decision-making at times need to be swift and out of the norm. This can only be attained when companies are well organized with every department carrying out their specialized functions well. But we are faced with a situation where business systems of days gone by are still so rigidly practiced today.

7)      Tax related issues.
It is very easy to cast Taxation as the villain, as a heartless institution put in place to cheat or punish honest hardworking people. But taxation is concerned about one thing only: generating revenue for the state. The officials who go around “harassing” the little man struggling to make a coin don't make the tax laws; they only enforce them. However, it is how these laws are enforced that affects the businesses. Many businesses have closed, stayed small or changed business names, thereby loosing goodwill accrued over the years and revenue because of tax related issues.

Far too often, however, businessmen or even firms find it difficult to comprehend tax systems because they have little or no understanding of its dynamics. They become skeptical of the motives of tax officials. As a result, they favor small or less conspicuous business ventures over major initiatives. That is one of the reasons why most businesses fear advertisement because it exposes them not only to new clients and investors, but also attracts the legal attention of the state and therewith the hot and corrupt gaze of the tax collectors, hence the limitation of growth and expansion.





Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Meet a PNB Ambassador: Vise G. Chin, President & CEO of Leéiyen Systems


Vise G. Chin



My names are Vise G. Chin.

I live with my family in Nkwen Bamenda III. I am the CEO/President of Leéiyen Systems, a not-for-profit, non-sectarian and developmental organization, sacrificing self to building mind, body and soul in developing countries. Okay, where exactly do I start? There are so many things we have done in the lives of individuals or communities, beginning from assisting more than five thousand children have access to education. Having worked on several community projects in the likes of water supply, construction of classrooms for schools, provided basic school supplies to more than 10,000 children, provided benches, donated textbooks to school libraries, carried out HIV/AIDS sensitization, realized several malaria control projects, and contributed lots in the field of sensitization in communities on various developmental issues. With all these, know we have done just small and I am certain that better is not good enough for the best is yet to come.

I like the North West Region because I was born there and I know the dynamism of the people with respect to development and building better communities and systems for the benefit of many. I like the region for their love and hospitality coupled with a very conducive climate. I particularly like the landscapes which add to the beauty of the environment and underground water supply. It is paradise on earth for me. Bamenda has a great future economically and its developmental growth potential is likened to none other in the country. It is a region that has proven itself in terms of academics even in oppression and rejection, making parents, families and philanthropists to work extremely hard in educating their its youth.

As far as the development of this region is concerned, I appreciate the efforts that many are putting to making a difference even though the pace of development is very slow due to the type of leaders we have who are not visionaries.

We need people with impetus who can see the future of this region 50 years from now and make plans to that regards. I am one of those who still mourn the passing of late Mayor Ahmando of Bamenda III for the developmental spirit he had for Nkwen and on his passing, no one has been able to fit into his shoes. A good example of the things  he did was the excellent manner of collecting garbage which everyone knew and loved. Today, it is the opposite as you will witness pools of polluted water along our major junctions in a so called city. Apparently the numerous road projects he started went with him to the grave. The public toilet he constructed in the Nkwen area has now been partitioned  into rooms for sex and sleep-over in spite the numerous inns in town.

We need more articulate leaders who will think now and work for tomorrow. The North West Region is almost left out and used as a political dumping ground and grooming of confusion. Where is the ring road? How long must we wait? Can someone own up!

Project New Bamenda is a laudable initiative aimed at us accepting who we are and making our style good to meet up and claim our rightful place. We need to be known, remembered and above all cherish and count our gains. Project New Bamenda needs us to give back to our very community so that development becomes the major role of the people. We need to promote, encourage and grow with one accord and spirit.

I dream seeing Bamenda not changing too much everything being equal. No roads, no improvement in health facilities, no improvement in education facilities unless its people take the bull by the horn. The North West has enormous resources that many are taping and getting rich and shall continue especially with new trends emerging in the fields of entertainment and business.


One Last One 

My favorite dish is all the dishes of the region, every day I love every food that is served for that makes my choice. 
The place I love the most is all the hills, valleys and streams.  
My favorite proverb is “TRY GOD”.





Tuesday, March 19, 2013

These New Voices Will Transform Entertainment in Bamenda


From the day of the auditions through the rehearsals(with a live orchestra) ,the first show, the pre-recording and recording of the tracks on the “Where We Belong” album, my experience with the team and coordinators has been fun-filled and invigorating, to say the least. Seldom has there been an uneventful moment as the preparations and anticipations have created an atmosphere filled with buzz and effervescence.


Working with artists who are ready to learn, open to constructive criticism, passionate, creative and humorous has made the adventure unforgettable. Everyone is a team player and the goal is more important than the role. The team-spirit and unity of mind have painted a clear mental picture of where we hope to arrive at and the pinnacles we intend to attain. This has fueled the team’s engine of creativity and this was seen when on one spree to the Saddle Hill Ranch Resort to compose, we faced an awkward moment of indecision. Late into the night when inspirations were high, various artists had come up with different hooks for the main track (Where We Belong) and all turned out to be potential hits. Only votes could settle this issue.


Although show business in Africa is still a burgeoning industry at an infantile stage, the growth has been uneven with nations like Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana experiencing a more rapid evolution in this sector. Fully confident of the fact that we (Cameroon in general and Bamenda in particular) have what it takes to compete at an international level, we’re out to export our cultural heritage, boost our international image as well as attract foreign investments. In a précis, we’re putting Bamenda on the map – the entertainment GPS. Like an 11-month pregnancy, our shine is overdue so it’s time to groom this sector, raise our living standards, gain international recognition as well as bag accolades such as BET Awards, MAMAs and Grammies.


Looking at the unharnessed potentials and talents we possess, there is definitely no reason why we should be absentees on the international stage. Noteworthy is the fact that most artists on the project have impressive academic and professional profiles with some well-established in the corporate world. We are also out to discredit the prevailing stereotype that music should be reserved for school drop-outs or the frustrated in society. Every artist on the team is a song-writer possessing the lyrical prowess and wittiness of translating inspired words into meaningful words. Charisma and swag are no exceptions. With these and more, nothing can deter Bamenda’s auspicious prospects in the light of entertainment. So what are we waiting for??? 



X-Brown






‘There are big packages reserved for the world and an even bigger dream for us to realize.’
X Brown










Glynn








‘This is my time to shine so that I can liberate others from their fears’

Glynn










Dratzy






‘Like an 11 month pregnancy, our shine is overdue. It’s time to groom this sector, raise our standards, raise our living standards, and gain international recognition as well as bag accolades ’

Denroy ‘Dratzy’ Anagho










Natty







‘Looking at the unharnessed potentials and talents we possess, there is definitely no reason why we should be absentees on the international stage’
Natty









Thelma








‘My roots say it all; the grassland symbolize the green pastures some seek, the highlands symbolize the peak or altitude we’re destined to attain’
Thelma









Renus






'We will override the impression and mentality of the world about us. We are the New Bamenda.'

Renus













Zinnia








‘I will not let this Song die in me; I will do this thing till I get the strength to do this thing right’
Zinnia










Nollygohh





'I.A.M
I am the voice of the people. I am the food for the soul
I am the music. 
I am'
Nollygohh