“THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS”- FREDERICK RUSSEL ANGMORTEY ADJASE-KODJO (Late)

Baby Fred

From cradle to grave, the man always seemed to be in a sort of hurry; always in a hurry to meet deadlines and wash his hands off assignments, showing seriousness in nearly everything. Perhaps, this was so he could complete the earthly assignments in readiness for the higher calling. 

And so it was almost unsurprising when he finally exited the earth in the manner he did; probably in a haste to go meet his Maker.  He needed no violent hand, no debilitating situation, and no distress to cut him off this troubled and sinful world. He exited as if he had been waiting for that fateful day; just to take that eventual stroll into a new life in eternity. But as Irving Berlin put it, “the song is ended but the melody will linger on.”

The man, Frederick Russel Angmortey Adjase-Kodjo aka Sir Fess

FREDERICK RUSSEL ANGMORTEY ADJASE-KODJO was the first male child of his parents and so the celebration that welcomed him into the world was considered momentous but expected. On that Saturday April 3, 1971,  here in Odumase-Krobo, God blessed Peter Angmor Adjase-Kodjo and Vida Koryo Adjase-Kodjo with a bubbly baby boy that would grow into an unyielding, courageous and hardworking young man; a fitting addition to the crop of gallant men of the Angmortsedi stock of the Suisi Division of Manya Krobo.

Growing up 

By 1973/74, young Freddy had started school at the Odumase Day Care Centre before moving on to Akro L.A Primary School, Odumase-Krobo in the 1976/77 academic year.

In 1980, he was moved to the Presbyterian Training College Demonstration School, Akropong-Akwapim when the father ‘Peter Kodjo’ was transferred to the famed Presbyterian Boys Middle Boarding School at Akropong (Salem), from another of its kind, the Presby Boys Middle Boarding School, Adukrom. He finally completed Middle School at Kpong Presby in 1987 obtaining the Middle school Leaving Certificate.

Desirous of pursuing a career in Accountancy, he entered King David Commercial College at Odumase-Krobo and sat for the Royal Society of Arts (RSA II) Accounting Examinations in 1990.

Thereafter, he had a working stint with Rudan Engineering Limited where he obtained on-the-job training in Surveying and Mapping. At Rudan, his intelligence and love for field work was brought to bear and he was said to have grasped the rudiments of Surveying & Mapping with cheeky ease after just a few projects.

Then came a career diversion in 1996, when he switched over to welding craft practice and subsequently got some training from one at Ho. It was during the period at Ho in 1998, that he was involved in a fatal accident that could easily have changed the course of his life. At the time, we estimated that event to be the worst thing to have ever happened to him. But God saved and preserved him for another nineteen years, perhaps for future assignments. We are rather grateful to God; that He deems it fit to call him at His own time and in such seamless manner.

From the early 2000s, he set out again into Painting & Decoration and set up Zogli Painting & Artworks. He has thus been engaged actively in this business undertaking a number of projects both in and outside town. By this time, he had become a “jack of all trades and master of all”.

Fred being baptised/confirmed by Rev. Nartey Maukle (1991)

He was baptized and confirmed into the Christian faith at Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Odumase-Krobo in 1991 by Rev. Nartey Maukle. He remained a Presbyterian till his sudden demise. Lately, he joined the new Congregation of Israel at Odumase-Krobo where he had since remained a member.

His whole life was one of modesty and simplicity. He had no time for excesses of any kind.  He had not been ill prior to his passing. On that Friday, 17^th March, 2017, he was only returning home after his usual trips to town when he suddenly fell unconscious. Family and friends subsequently rushed him to the St. Martins Hospital, Agormanya only for him to slip away that very night. He literally strolled into eternity.

The mere mortals that we are, some are wont to think and classify this call as all too sudden with many lingering questions. But “His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways” says Isaiah 55:8. Whichever way one looks at it, the Holy Scriptures still offers the best response to any query; “For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore , or die, we are the Lord’s” – Rom. 14:8.

For the physical loss, today, he is being mourned by a son, a chip of the old block, Owen Angmor  Adjase-Kodjo, six siblings; Gloria Maureen Naa Oyoe Quartey, Victoria Doeyo Ampadu-Boateng, Millicent Estella Angmorkwor Adjase-Kodjo, Herman Ablade Adjase-Kodjo, Henking Nyumu-Teye Anyingmor Adjase-Kodjo and Gustav Korli Adjase-Kodjo, nephew and nieces, a multitude of cousins, other kinsmen and friends. We thank the Lord for the gift of this son.

Freddy, you have taken on a new life and we cannot agree more with Richard Bach when he said “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” Fare the well into the new life in the bosom of the Lord.

                                                                                                 

THERE GOES GO MY DAD 

You personally held my hand and took me to school at the beginning of last term. I returned home only to meet your absence; an absence that is so deep and difficult to understand. It was a rude shock that has shut down a part of me and that will remain so for a long time to come. It is almost time to go back to school and the effect of your loss is becoming more real. 

Everybody can go and pretend all is well but for me a “lone ranger”, the world will never be the same.

The pain is deep but life must continue. I trust that God will direct my path.

Owen Angmor Adjase-Kodjo

FAREWELL, SON

Death makes no conquest of this conqueror, for now he lives in fame though not in life. ---William Shakespeare

You remained tied to our apron strings for most part of your formative years and were so fond of you as the first son. You grew up into a very a courageous and hardworking young man and the principal organizer of your siblings and you demonstrated maturity and wisdom in that regard.

You were reliable and humble to a fault. You made many significant impressions on us with your great qualities. Your commitment to peace reflected in your abhorrence of unnecessary arguments, long conversations and conflict.

You placed your time and energy at our disposal and for the benefit of the entire family. Your humble outlook on life translated into your overly simple lifestyle. Your great measure of humility, bravery and your knack for action rather than long speeches enabled you to execute many tasks to perfection. Your words were always motivational and you would hardly discourage or dampen anybody’s spirit or efforts at pursuing a goal.

To your credit and to your honour, you painstakingly supervised and coordinated all the family’s major projects over the years including farming, lumbering and more importantly our building project which we now call home. Even though your physical presence has been lost to us forever, the memorable works and moments with us will build an impressive eternal monument.

Reflecting on the shortness and uncertainty of human life and the fading nature of all enjoyments, we thank God that you lived for so long. We agree with George. S. Paton when he said “It is foolish to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”

Fare well, Etse Angmortey Zogli.

---Parents

DAYS WITH OUR BROTHER, OUR FOND REFLECTIONS

Rest gently, my brother

You and I were the forerunners, given the sequence of our birth and we played with distinction the leadership role that came with our positions, taking care of and nurturing our younger siblings into the refined adults that they have become.

You were the torchbearer and the man of the house. It’s sad you are exiting now and thus altering the many plans up our sleeves. The loss is big, and coping with it remains a tough task. 

Do rest gently my brother.

Gloria Maureen Naa-Oyoe Quartey

Shock so overwhelming

I came right after you in terms of birth and so the bond was tight, as should be expected. This made you overly protective of me especially during our school days. You were literally my shield and that gave me a sense of security anytime we were away from home and together.

We soon turned adults and as the leader of the team and the man of the house, you led the way and we only comfortably followed your footprint, knowing who was at the helm of affairs. My pain now is that you gave me no sign that you were exiting anytime soon; it was too swift and the shock’s overwhelming. Your departure was too swift.

I have had to find solace in 2 Corinthians 5:1- “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands”. It is my belief that you are with the Lord in this ETERNAL HOUSE.
Rest and rest gently ye wetse kpakpako

Victoria Doeyo Kodjo Ampadu-Boateng

God be with you till we meet again

My heart aches and my mind wanders; I am wondering what to say.

In my current state of disorientation, I can only find expression in William G. Tomer’s lyrics:

“God be with you till we meet again;

By his counsels guide, uphold you;

With his sheep securely fold you.

God be with you till we meet again”

Go Rest in Peace, Awetse

Millicent Estella Angmorkuor Adjase-Kodjo

When “sleep” sweeps away dreams…

In every conversation we had, there was always a word or two meant to encourage and inspire us your siblings to aspire to higher heights. 

Your cardinal philosophy was that everything under the sun was achievable and possible and that one should by all means make an effort towards accomplishing a task, however daunting it was. Rightly it might be said that long conversation and/or argument were not your thing but your few words were full of light and guidance.  

I grieve for the words left unsaid and the deeds left undone; for our many plans and for all the work in progress. God’s finger touched you and you slept. Good night my brother--- Herman Ablade Adjase-Kodjo (Foso).

The Sad Tale

What was to pass as a usual week-end visit to town (Odumase-Krobo) ended in a rather sad tale- you sneaked away right in my arms without any prior sign of ill-health, at least none that was perceptible and I could only look on helplessly.

The terrible scenes of that 15 to 20 minutes drama have been playing in my mind ever since-a hurting reminder about how our years of bonding as brothers was rudely cut.

Today, I find myself searching the crowds for your face to no avail and now I am wondering how to bear the feeling of never getting to share the familial love and moments with you again.

You are so hard to be without, and it remains a task how to move on from this point. God be my helper in this regard.

Henking Nyumu-Teye Anyingmor Adjase-Kodjo

The pacesetter

You set the pace, blazed the trail, untied the knots, and made life quite simple for me almost to your disadvantage. 

I keep crying your name in the hope of a response but the only reply I get is the frail echo of my own voice. 

In ceaseless manner flows the numerous golden and privileged moments shared with you, and these are indelibly inscribed in my heart, mind and spirit. Go forth to the Lord in the spirit and speed with which you left us, SIR FESS.

Gustav Narh-Korli Adjase-Kodjo

THE UNCLE WE HAD

I feel lost

So I see you no more?

Hear from you no more?

Not here anymore?

This is the pain

That gnaws at my heart everyday

Uncle, I lost you and now I feel I lost myself.

Good bye.

Peter Atteh Kodjo

God has you, Uncle Freddy

I remember very well our very first and only painting work with you. You said we should observe and ask questions- the mark of a great leader. It resonates in my mind as though it was just yesterday. 

You were of few words but on the occasions when you opened up, the wisdom that came forth was vast. Uncle Fred, you are a figure hard to replace. 

God bless you so much and we still consider ourselves very blessed to have spent this short time with you. 

You admonished us to be strong and keep our composure in times of adversity because we didn’t know who was watching and drawing inspiration from us. But on this occasion of your physical departure from us, tears have sapped our strength. God has you, that’s our consolation. Miss you already, uncle. 

Rest in Peace.

Paul Lawer Kodjo

I am sad

I grew up to know Grand Paa gave me the name Lady Zheng (pronounced Shin) out of affection and that is how you have addressed me till now. Anytime you mentioned it, it gave me fond memories of my early days and echoed the tenderly love with which I was raised.

Your room was my playground; and your gadgets such as TV set/remote, phone etc were literally my “toys” with which I played. Now your room is locked and the story is different. I am sad.

Florence Audrey Doe Ossom-Nyarko

I won’t mind you again !!!

Uncle Freddy!!! You didn’t tell me you were leaving. I arrived only to realize you were long gone. I won’t mind you again.

Elliot Kwame Ampadu-Boateng (Baby-Gold)

‘Angmortsedi We’ Bids You Farewell, Angmortey Zogli

“Strive not, my soul, for an immortal life but make the most of what is possible.” Pythian Odes, 518-438BC

You were christened Angmortey Zogli for a purpose and you lived up to it. You were the epitome of a man; a true man; a man from the crown of your head to the sole of your feet; in that you exhibited hard work, valour and maturity required of a man at all times.

Lately, it had become so refreshing to see an impressive corps of young men growing up across the entire stretch of Angmortsedi We. And this gives us hope that this budding generation of youth were only bidding their time to take up the leadership mantle when we the elders eventually join the ancestors ahead of you. This was not to be; God decided that you take the lead. Who are we to question His actions?

You were among the leaders of this gallant army particularly as the captain of our proud traditional (Obonu) drummers. You were leading the crusade of rejuvenating our culture through the performing arts. This role, you were playing with distinction till you breathed your last. You have impacted the younger ones with the values of hardwork and bravery and we know they will keep the torch aflame.

You crossed over peacefully and we believe you are resting in the Lord. Angmortey Zogli, Angmortsedi We bids you farewell.

A parting message

Freddy was a very reliable young man; always at my service. He was always available anytime for my errands and numerous trips. He would quickly rally his men (Obonu drummers) for my assignments and so he literally became my “Obonu Matse” and for many of my colleague chiefs.

It is worth mentioning that on that fateful day, a few hours before he passed on, he came over to my end and took my charges through drumming practice; a project he was undertaking which was fast bearing good fruits. Today, we can count a number of budding Obonu drummers who have undergone his training. 

We have lost a friend and a teacher.

Freddy, Oke nyemi saminya.

Djasetse Lartey Djabatey III

A part of me has shut down

You were quite older than us but you always came down to our level and mingled freely. You related to me as though we were co-equals. The mutual respect was of the highest rating. 

Back in the late 80s when you came over to Klumihe-Akontaa to spend some time with us, you never regarded yourself higher than anybody. You integrated easily though you may have been regarded as a ‘city boy’. 

I consider myself as one of your all-time closest pals and we spoke about anything and everything freely.  You were hardworking, simple but firm. Freddy, my big brother, rest well in the Lord.

----Victor Angmor (Lallas)

A BLENDER, A BRAND AND A CATASTROPHE: CASE STUDY OF THE MAWARKO FOODS CRISIS

No one can accurately foresee when a crisis will happen. They are sudden and unpredictable. The key to this is in how prepared one is to mitigate a crisis in the first place and then manage the process of returning the situation back to normalcy.

In the corporate world a crisis could either tank your business or serve as a catalyst for the improvement of business processes. Some areas prone to creating issues which eventually turn into crises are labour, operations, and management and environmental activities among others. Organisations need to be mindful of the potential of sour issues going incredibly wrong.

One organization currently facing a crisis in full bloom is Mawarko Foods. The company is one of the well-known brands when it comes to Middle Eastern cuisine. It is not uncommon to witness the unending queues of patrons, waiting their turn to sample a ‘Mawarco Shawarma’ et al.

Sadly, a recent incident involving the alleged maltreatment of staff on site seems to have shaken the foundation of business for this company. Organisations are not immune to crises. They need to insulate themselves from the devastating impact that crises can cause to their brands. History has taught many of the effects of a crisis on the reputation of organisations with the likes of Enron, Domino’s Pizza and Johnson & Johnson.

In the grand scheme of things, one can use the Mawarko crisis as a case study on how a company should tackle any crisis and emerge reformed for future business operations.

The road to recovery starts with admitting that there is a problem (note that this may lead to and reach damaging proportions to the brand at the initial stage).Then a prudent switch to emergency mode and a prompt advance towards implementing a full crisis communication strategy to ameliorate circumstances must be pursued.

The purpose of the crisis communication strategy is to guide the organisation’s executives to communicate to its stakeholders and the general public on the events that have cast a negative perception on the integrity of the company; the crisis plan is the blue print of a clearly defined channel to alleviate negative repercussions.

One must always know that the media will do their job in sounding the alarm when things go wrong; but social media amplifies a crisis exponentially at astounding speed. This case is evidently a media crisis; it is important to understand the issues clearly, respond swiftly and to send out consistent messaging.

So, how did things get so out of hand for this company?

1. Timing (delayed response): The issue happened on Sunday February 26, 2017; the company delayed their response (i.e. issuance of an official statement) until about a week after. By this time, different versions of the story had taken root in the minds of the public.

2. Breach of crisis response protocol (the issue of spokesperson/s): It seems that there was no crisis management policy or strategy guiding the company in handling communications between the company and the outside world. Too many voices from the company were giving testimonies by granting interviews on behalf of the company. The official statement for instance, was attributed to the CEO, which should be no crime. 

However, two other staff, one is reported to be the “Public Relations Officer” and the other, a Supervisor, were heard on separate radio stations speaking on the issue and creating contradictions which undoubtedly inflamed tensions. Engagement with the media must strictly be for designated persons with the skill and approval from management.

3. Social media and the missed opportunity: They missed the opportunity to actively use social media in time to reach the public. Public mob-waves began ganging up against the company with concerted cries from the public to boycott all services and products of the company. The issue began to   trend and spread on many other social media platforms.

4. A struggling statement: Aside being late, the official statement from the company seemed wrought with contradictions. There were different accounts to the story from the various statements in the public domain which opened the company up for further mistrust and anger.

5. Whistle-blower Protection: This one is tricky but from the official statement given, the company created the impression that their internal structures were not strong. They stated categorically that though the issue happened, and was being managed by the HR department, management only got wind of the situation after the police   arrested the suspect.  

Whistleblower protection is serious business. To ensure organiations are aware of all incidents within their walls it should offer immunity or full support and protection to staff who alert management of mishaps within the organisation.

6. The “Lebanese company” tag: It emerged that the organisation is Ghanaian-owned and is headed by a Ghanaian. This was announced in their statement address and re-iterated by Lawyers for the firm during court proceedings. 

Granted that this fact is true, the company missed the opportunity to water down the “Lebanese companies exploit staff rhetoric”. Obviously, the Ghanaian public got enraged largely because the Supervisor was perceived as a hostile expatriate. 

However, regardless of the origin of the company, should the organisation have had a proactive crisis management strategy or plan functioning, a large part of the company’s image could have been greatly salvaged.

7. Distancing the brand from an individual:  In relation to the previous point, a clear crisis management plan would contain the situation enough to buy time for further investigations to be conducted. Clearly, this was an act of indiscretion on the part of an individual which was most unfortunate but should not have impacted the brand so.

8. Connection between suspect and CEO: Because of the said family ties between the CEO and the suspect, the public felt the company was trying to sweep the incident under the carpet. 

Again, the company could have been smarter with their internal investigations and indicated their readiness not to tolerate any acts of abuse or bullying from Line Manager towards their Subordinates regardless of the relationship between the alleged culprit and the owners of the company.

Someone aptly summed up the actions to take when hit with media crisis and the advice couldn’t be more concise. When handling a media crisis, be guided by these three principles:-

1. If it cannot be explained, it cannot be defended:- If the issue is bad, own up to it and apologize.

2. You’ve got to tell the truth; be selective. There’s a time and place for everything. Tell the truth and as little as you need to, but enough to please the media and the different stakeholders interested in the crisis. This is where a PR Specialist (in-house or retained) is needed to navigate the course of communications surrounding the crisis.

3. When there’s a crisis, there’s also a great opportunity: the spotlight is already on the company: use it favourably to your advantage

Once the public sees a concerted effort to genuinely make amends all the tension will eventually subside.

Conclusion

Crises communication is a product of crises management. Crises management is a metamorphosis of issues management. Organisations need to deal with issues before they get out of hand.

Ronald D. Smith, author of Strategic Planning for Public Relations, 2005 gave the analogy of issues management being somewhat similar to steering a sailboat which runs with the wind. When the wind happens to be blowing in the direction you want it to go you make progress against the wind.

Sometimes you need to work to have the wind in your favour, sometimes you stall when there is no wind; you adapt to a constantly changing environment. In a crisis, the analogy can be likened to riding out a storm on the high seas; the best anyone can do is drop the sails, hang on and hope the boat is strong enough to survive without too much damage.

The Mawarko story is now included in the library of crisis communication case studies for organisations to learn lessons from and students of Communications to dissect and earn marks for exams.

Henking is a PR Executive with Media Republique, an Accra-based integrated Public Relations firm. Reach him via henking@mediarepublique.com or on 0266 000 747 or klonobi2007@gmail.com.

Wednesday April 19 edition of the Business and Financial Times newspaper (pg 9)