And the man fell! Whose Fault?

A lot of service organisations do not believe that they ought to invest in their staff despite the fact that these people are the faces of their organisation. Show me an overworked/underpaid staff and I’d show you an organisation that is going under in so near a future.

Many of these organisations in order to save cost tend to employ inexperienced hands and most appalling of all, do not make any effort in empowering/training them hoping they could make more profit. Alas! The reverse is always the case. Last Friday night, I decided to hang out with a couple of friends to celebrate TGIF (thank God it’s Friday) and we chose this new beautiful spot located somewhere on the mainland. I wouldn’t want to mention names as I’ve not been paid for advertisement (laughs).

When we got to this place the intellectual/psychological disparity between trained and untrained staffs came to fore as the owner of the place saw two of his inexperienced staff misbehave right before his clients.

While we were at the place, a guest walked in with a beautiful lady in tow and in a twinkle of an eye just as the man made towards an unoccupied table to sit, he slipped and fell heavily on the ground to everyone’s surprise and a quick look at the floor showed that there was water on the floor which made him fall. Though it was a surprise to see the man fall, however it was most shocking to find two of the waiters (male and female) who stood aside laughing their heads off instead of rushing to help the man/customer off the floor. It took the shout of another customer who rained abuses on them before they realised that they ought to have gone to help the man up and thereafter apologise but it was too late as their boss walked in just about the same time as they both stood laughing and so got fired on the spot. 

This led to a debate among a few of those present. Some of the customers opined that it was the fault of the owner of the spot who did not ‘train his staff’ properly while others argued that without being trained; ‘common sense’ ought to have made the waiters know that they should have helped and apologised. While another group expressed that service could become considerably worse given the level of staff which could be disastrous to the newly opened relaxation spot, they nevertheless advised that the owner should reinstate and train the two fired waiters as young inexperienced people are easier to work with than some of those experienced but difficult people who claim to ‘know-it-all’ sometimes.

Now the question is, whose fault is it, the employer or the waiters?

Let’s have your feedback here or send us a mail on Andrevashaw@hotmail.co.uk

ALEX ‘O’ COMING BACK WITH A BANG

I suppose a lot of people (that is, those who already knew ‘whatsup’ in the 90s) would always remember Alex ‘O’ the young and vibrant chap with a lovely voice that sounded American. Even if you do not recollect, I can lay a wager on the table that you definitely would never forget the songs such as ‘do it in the name of love’, ‘Celebrate’ with the lines such as.... “make you take some time to bubble and shuffle, after all the hustle and bustle...” *winks* aha! Now I have no doubts you remember him. 

  

Not too long ago, I was privileged to have a meeting with him and we sure had a long talk going down memory lane and upcoming plans he has put in place. And boy! Phew!! We did have a long and interesting time chatting. It felt good seeing him again after over two decades.

Alex ‘O’ born Alex Ogugua Okoroigwe hails from Imo state, Nigeria. He was one of the top Nigerian Musicians back then. Nonetheless, even when music could barely put enough food on their tables as musicians in those early days yet they give it their all as good music was the thing for them at that time. Until he left the Nigerian shores for greener pastures, Alex ‘O’ already had four successful records and a maxi-single to his name which were released under Premier music label (then Polygram). 

Unlike many others who left the Nigerian scene to go overseas just to hustle, while abroad Alex ‘O’ went back to school to study Film and Animation; thus presently he is back and now the founder/CEO of a Music, Film and Animation production company ‘QUIETSTORM’ based in Lekki Lagos. The company is into visual effects, the post production and production as well as directing of movies and music videos. He’s currently working on a new album which will be preceded by a new single (audio and video) that will be dropping any moment from now and the song is titled, MAKE WE ROLL.

Hmm! ‘Make we roll’ according to him is a fusion of current trend of hip hop dance, and of course his evergreen R & B style of singing and delivery. The song’s audio and video which is produced by him has a lot of high tech visual effects.

We look forward to that new single and until then, let's keep 'doing it in the name of love'. 

Cheers!

 

SADLY... DORA, AMAKA AND KEFEE TOOK THE INEVITABLE BOW

I’m going to make this as simple and easy as possible. Until a few years back, a lot of Nigerians (including yours sincerely) knew very little or next to nothing about the adverse effect of fake drugs until our very own Nigerian Professor Dora Nkem Akunyili (aka MAMA NAFDAC) became the Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control of Nigeria and Nigerian Minister of Information and Communications from 2008 to 2010 and created huge awareness on the damaging effect fake drugs and foods as well as counterfeit cosmetic products have dealt/dealing with Nigerians. God bless the day she was born which according to reports was on the 14^th of July 1954 in Makurdi, Nigeria and sadly died on the 7^th of June 2014 in India. 

Also, in the 90’s when many people were still trying to grapple or find their bearing in good TV Production, we were nevertheless providential to have mind blowing and entertaining programmes grace our TVs from the unwavering, creative and intelligent works of one of Nigeria’s leading Writer, Producer and Director in the movie industry who is none other than Mrs Amaka Igwe (nee Isaac Ene) another of our very own successful Nigerian personality.

Amaka Igwe, until her death was the brain behind BOBTV (Best of the Best African Film and Television), founder and CEO of Top Radio 90.9FM, Q Entertainment Networks as well as the great Amaka Igwe Studios that created many of Nigeria’s best, award winning as well as some of the highest quality of television and video productions such as the evergreen ‘Checkmate’, ‘Rattlesnake’, ‘Violated’, ‘Fuji House of commotion’ and more. All of her works remained relevant even as the years passed by speedily and it is no doubt that they will continually outlive her because not many people would be able to step into the vacuum she has created with her death on the 29^th of April 2014. There goes the dream/opportunity of ever working with you as I always thought that peradventure one wants to have a stint in Nolly wood, it would have to be either through your creative platform or Emem Isong's.

Hmmm! Now onto Irikefe (aka Kefee) Don Momoh (nee Obareki). Kefee the multi-award winning music ‘branama’ crooner was one young strong voiced gospel singer who transformed local traditional songs into contemporary acceptable/danceable and interesting music. I remember vividly the first time I heard her sing in Benin city with her friend Estee a song from their ‘Trip’ album until a few years later when she filled the airwaves and television as she thrilled us with her first solo album ‘Branama’ which shot her into limelight and she never stopped gliding till that day when she finally let go on the 13^th of June 2014 at a Los Angeles hospital having been in coma for days after battling with lung failure.  

Kefee established her entertainment outfit ‘Branama Afrique’ in 2007 and also had new plans which included tours within and outside Nigeria, so did Dora as well as Amaka who all had plans too. For people such as these trio, ‘quitting’ was never in their game as they worked hard to continually achieve their dreams. Nonetheless, while they did their best in their chosen fields and made plans for bigger things; they each unknowingly had a common appointment for 2014.

Painfully, on the 29^th of April, 9^th of June and 13^th of June 2014 respectively the world received the sad news of their exit towards the great beyond where everyone would go eventually. Nevertheless, they all made their marks in their respective fields before their exit despite their short stay here and hence the life they all lived left a message that is ‘do something meaningful and leave a good mark in the prints of time/life before you take that inevitable bow’.

And so, adieu! our beautiful gap-toothed smiling and vibrant mama NAFDAC, you will always be remembered as that vibrant no-nonsense multiple award winning woman who believed in a great Nigeria and contributed her quota. Rest in peace, our highly talented; intelligent and also numerous worthy award winning Amaka and finally our sonorous voiced Kefee!! Adieu!!! dearest ones since you have all finally taken that bow.

The world, Nigerians within and without miss you and hope that your good works will always keep you alive in our hearts. 

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