Month: October 2017

Patience and Endurance are key factors in all situation. 

I had challenge recharging my prepaid meter for the past 8weeks. I was persistent in calling, visiting and waiting for solution. 

Last week Friday, the customer care person at IBEDC Ota refered me to some people i hardly meet in the same office. We got engaged and a he felt for me. He ran through my accounts and saw the gaps. He felt for me and promised to assist in resolving it. I showed him the customer service mails and twitters unattended to. 

Today Sunday while I was in sleep after Church, I prayed that he could solve the problem. Lo and behold I was outside the front corridor hoping to see the beep of the meter beep to call him. Though, he sent some token numbers earlier to try. 

My son was beside me while I was candy crushing on my A7. Suddenly, you know how power is restored in Nigeria, my neighbour’s water started running out the tank. Son looked up and power was on. I slot in the token twice …it was rejected. 

I called this gentle man, he gave me codes to check, i sent the information he said Ok sir I will call you back. 10mins later he sent another token (sets of numbers). The token went through and I inserted the token I bought since August and power was restored. Fulfilment! Yes I was and fulfilled in my patience.

Initially, I spoke with some people about how it worries me not to have electricity…….escalate, bypass, go to the office and make a scene etc.

In my mind, I have limited time to pursue the problem so i rely on social networks; twitter and emails.

My point……..patience is the key. My patience and endurance has connected me with the right person with right solution at the right time. This is a turning point for me. 8weeks, 2months without electricity on my right and money as a customer awaiting immediate service but postponed. I am not a God but I know God is patient with everyone.

There is always a lesson to be learned in every situation. What could not be resolved during week days was resolved on a Sunday October 15th, 2017.

God is awesome! If God be for me who can be against me? This is my testimony.

October 1st remains a special date for all Nigerians as this marks the day when we attained one of the most precious of human desires — freedom.

Over the years the country has gone through trials and tribulations, but October 1st is always a day for celebrations.

It is a day for thanks giving, reflection and re-dedication.

It is also a day for remembrance. We should remind ourselves of the recent journey from 1999 – 2015, when our country happily returned to democratic rule.

However, in spite of oil prices being an average of $100 per barrel and about 2.1m barrels a day, that great piece of luck was squandered and the country’s social and physical infrastructure neglected.

We were left with no savings and huge infrastructure deficit.

The APC Government’s Campaign rallying cry to restore security, re-balance the economy and fight corruption was not all rhetoric.

The country must first be secured. The economy must be re-balanced so that we do not depend on oil alone. We must fight corruption which is Nigeria’s Number One Enemy. Our Administration is tackling these tasks in earnest.

In the past two years, Nigeria has recorded appreciable gains in political freedom. A political Party at the Centre losing elections of State Governor, National Assembly seat and even State Assemblies to the opposition parties is new to Nigeria. Added to these are complete freedom to associate, to hold and disseminate opinions. Such developments clearly attest to the country’s growing political development. But like all freedoms, this is open to abuse.

Recent calls on re-structuring, quite proper in a legitimate debate, has let in highly irresponsible groups to call for dismemberment of the country. We can not and we will not allow such advocacy.

As a young Army Officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in our tragic civil war costing about 2m lives, resulting in fearful destruction and untold suffering. Those who are agitating for a re-run were not born by 1967 and have no idea of the horrendous consequences of the civil conflict which we went through.

I am very disappointed that responsible leaders of these communities do not warn their hot-headed youths what the country went through. Those who were there should tell those who were not there, the consequences of such folly.

At all events, proper dialogue and any desired constitutional changes should take place in a rational manner, at the National and State Assemblies. These are the proper and legal fora for National debate, not some lop-sided, un-democratic body with pre-determined set of objectives.

Government is keeping up the momentum of dialogue with stakeholders in the Niger Delta to keep the peace. We intend to address genuine grievances of the communities.

Government is grateful to the responsible leadership of those communities and will pursue lasting peace in the Niger Delta.

SECURITY

On security, Nigerians must be grateful to our gallant Armed Forces for rolling back the frontiers of Boko Haram’s terrorism, defeating them and reducing them to cowardly attacks on soft and vulnerable targets.

Nigeria is grateful to its neighbours and the international community for the collective efforts to defeat this world-wide menace of terrorism.

Not even the most organized and most equipped police and security forces in the world can escape the menace of modern day terrorism, as we have seen in recent years in Europe and other parts of the world.

But we are not letting up. Our Armed Forces in an effort to enhance the operational capability of troops of OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE have established Mobile Strike Teams in the North East. These will ensure the final push to wipe out the remnants of Boko Haram.

In addition, through targeted air strikes most of the leadership and identified logistics bases and routes of the insurgents have been neutralized. The Armed Forces have established a Naval presence in the Lake Chad Basin as part of the coordinated military efforts to curtail the movements or re-emergence of the sect in the area.

Government is working round the clock to ensure release of the remaining Chibok girls, as well as other persons in Boko Haram captivity. Government will continue to support the Armed Forces and other security agencies to fight not only terrorism, but kidnapping, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers violence and to ensure peace, stability and security in our country.

ECONOMY

With respect to the economy, the Government has remained pro-active in its diversification policy. The Federal Government’s agricultural Anchor Borrowers Programme, which I launched in November 2015, has been an outstanding success with:

• N43.92 billion released through the CBN and 13 participating institutions,
• 200,000 small holder farmers from 29 states of the federation benefitting,
• 233,000 hectares of farmland cultivating eight commodities, namely Rice, Wheat, Maize, Cotton, soya-beans, Poultry, Cassava and Groundnuts, in addition to fish farming.

These initiatives have been undertaken in close collaboration with the states. I wish to commend the efforts of the Governors of Kebbi, Lagos, Ebonyi and Jigawa States for their support to the rice and fertilizer revolutions.

Equally commendable are contributions of the Governors of Ondo, Edo, Delta, Imo, Cross River, Benue, Ogun, Kaduna and Plateau States for their support for the Presidential initiative for palm oil, rubber, cashew, cassava, potatoes and others crops.

With the abundance of rainfall last year and this year, agriculture has enjoyed Divine intervention.

Since December last year, this Administration has produced over 7 million 50Kg bags of fertilizer. Eleven blending plants with a capacity of 2.1 million metric tons have been reactivated. We have saved $150 million in foreign exchange and N60 billion in subsidy. Fertilizer prices have dropped from N13,000 per 50Kg bag to N5,500.

Furthermore, a new presidential initiative is starting with each state of the Federation creating a minimum of 10,000 jobs for unemployed youths, again with the aid of CBN’s development finance initiatives.

Power remains a huge problem. As of September 12th, production of power reached an all — time high of 7,001 Megawatts. Government is increasing its investment, clearing up the operational and financial log jam bedeviling the industry. We hope to reach 10,000 Megawatts by 2020.

Key priorities include better energy mix through solar and Hydro technologies. I am glad to say that after many years of limbo, Mambilla Power Project has taken off.

Elsewhere in the economy the special window created for manufacturers, investors and exporters, foreign exchange requirements has proved very effective. Since April, about $7 billion has come through this window alone. The main effect of these policies is improved confidence in the economy and better investment sentiments.

The country has recorded 7 consecutive months of lower inflation, Naira rate is beginning to stabilize, appreciating from N525 per $1 in February this year to N360 today. Broad-based economic growth is leading us out of recession.

Furthermore, in order to stabilize the polity, the Federal Government gave additional support to states in the form of:

• State Excess Crude Account loans,
• Budget Support Facility,
• Stabilization Fund Release

to state and local government as follows:

• N200 billion in 2015
• N441 billion in 2016
• N1 trillion in 2017

Altogether totaling N1.642 trillion.

This was done to enable states to pay outstanding salaries, pensions and small business suppliers who had been all but crippled over the years.

In addition, the Government’s current N500 billion Special Intervention Programme is targeting groups through;

• Home Grown School Feeding Programme,
• N-Power Job creation to provide loans to small-scale traders and artisans,
• Conditional Cash Transfer,
• Family Homes Fund and
• Social Housing Scheme

CORRUPTION

Fellow Nigerians,

We are fully aware that fighting corruption was never going to be a straightforward task. We expected corrupt elements to use any weapon to fight back, mainly judicial obstruction and political diversion. But we are determined to eradicate corruption from our body politic.

In this fight, the Government has:

• Empowered teams of prosecutors,
• Assembled detailed databases,
• Accelerated the recovery of stolen funds

The Administration’s new institutional reforms include:

• Enforcing Treasury Single Account,
• Whistle-Blowers Policy,
• Integrated Payroll Personnel and Information System

We have signed multi-lateral cooperation agreements on criminal matters with friendly countries. There are signs of increasing cooperation from the Judiciary. Recently the Chief Justice of the Federation directed Heads of all our Courts of first instance and Appeal to accelerate hearings of corruption cases and dismiss any judicial officers found to have been compromised.

Justice Salami has just been appointed to chair the Judiciary’s anti-graft committee. Government expects a lot from this Committee.

I commend the National Assembly for refocusing on its oversight committees. They should, in addition, ensure swift passage of enabling corruption laws. But fighting corruption is a bottom to top operation. I call on all Nigerians to combat corruption at every turn. By not asking for and refusing to accept a bribe, by reporting unethical practices or by blowing a whistle, together we can beat corruption. The government for its part will work for accountability at all levels – Federal, State and Local Governments. CHANGE will then be real.

As we enter the second half of our term of office, we intend to accelerate progress and intensify our resolve to fix the country’s challenges and problems.

Thank you and a happy holiday to all of you.

God bless our country.

Value is extra benefit, free service with selfless efforts. Value-added is mostly inclined in the telecommunication industry as extra benefit, satisfaction, gain, or willful appreciation for a service patronage. This is a commitment value. If you did not patronize the coy you may not have the value. 
So, value is a determinant of commitment and such commitment makes you obligated by devotion or passion for such service. In a first time shopping experience, you were not assisted or shown a warm welcome which ordinarily you deserve as a customer who values his money. Later you decided to buy a little worth of items in another store and appreciated from the entrance to the interior and exit. How would you feel? Elated, satisfied, amazed or pleased. Your commitment has earned you a value in value and will make you to come again. 

In my years of experience in customer service, I have seen lots of people coming to me that they value me.  Many customer value you for so many reasons, even prefer to meet you in person all the time for a good shopping experience. One way or the other, I realized that I have developed a value in myself and towards the business that makes me stand out amongst others. 

The first key value that is most important is Honesty. You must be truthful to your customers. For every commitment to consumption, every customer in their cerebral consciousness would have undergone listening, reading, tasting, touch, feel, imagination, experience and conviction. These are some the knick-knacks of consumption in every customer.  In a retail, you need experienced Supervisors and Managers to handle the customers professionally inorder to render good outward value. 

A good value is to understand the customer’s intention to buy the particular item and not with the intention of getting the concentrated money value out of him. Be curious to know, why, how, where, and what and render your unalloyed professional assistance. When you have this interaction, you will gain friendship and extended relationship  

A piece of cake was sold for $2. What is the value and worth? Literally, the value cost is $2 while the worth is Cake. After purchase, you realize that the piece of cake is better consumed with the iced baked cream except the cellophane. By implication, the $2 bill value is maximized on the iced baked cream. Such product would be more preferred for its value and the more people get informed about it. 

Value is extra, selfless, and additional skills or service rendered for and to without any registered obligation. There is no negative to value!

For the benefit of this topic, we have decided to discuss three (3) basic Value categories: 

A. Individual Value: 

Do you possess any value? Could you work extra hours in your establishment without demanding a raise? Could you assist others in their needs? Could you recommend others before yourself?  Could you work under pressure? Could you train others who are aspiring your position without it affecting you?  Could you easily delineate between work and play?

As an individual, your parents are watching you, teachers are noticing you, your co-workers are watching, your spiritual counselors are watching etc. Your value attributes comes from what your offer others that may not be able to offer.

Doing more that the minimum, rendering exceptional customer service, selfless service, creativity, honesty, truthfulness, helping hands, showing appreciation, praises, bluntness, homely, courteousness, friendliness, listening, neatness etc.

When an individual possesses some of the above attributes it triggers relationships. We need to cultivate good habits to aid our ways, existence and coexistence.  
B. Cultural Value: There is the utmost concentration in achieving greater success in life in the retail or any form of establishment. The duty, performance and delivery of any organization is backed by the human efforts. The business value stem from the goal, mission, vision, objectives and purposes. These are the sole trend in which employees are guided, trained, empowered and learn. The vision and goal is very important to achieve a business value. We have pioneer staffs, new entrants, and continuous new entrants. The pioneer develops with culture and steadily uses the yard stick to develop more and affect orders. By following the rules and guidelines of the establishment and trying to achieve the goal. If the real focus is about the customers, they would require consistent training and learning behaviors of customers and how to affect them more positively. As this methods, approach, process and mediums evolve they develop a cultural value. What they are known for!  

This category of value is easily perceived in the organization especially when the employees are well motivated, appreciated, trained, disciplined and committed to work. Most employers fail to develop a cultural value. The employees are the key to a successful business value. When customers are well treated and catered for, they in turn develop more relationships through the individual and close rapport with the company. Some customers due to this prefer to deal with some certain employees than the other. When such staff resigns or transfers some customers would love to move with the person. 

• We have seen parents who move their kids to follow a teacher to a new school

• Some customers withdraw their funds into another bank because of a valued bank employee who resigned for another bank

• Some customers prefer to shop in any branch a particular manager is being transferred. 

Customers are unconsciously entrenched into the cultural trend of the organization without them knowing it. 

C. Corporate or Business Value:

The corporate value is an overall perception of an organization in contextual contents. How do we mean? Corporate value is an essential element to customers’ loyalty. We have an equation to prove this  

 Individual value (IV) + Cultural value (CV) = Business Value (BV)

The start of any business is conceived by an individual to another individual. Shared thoughts and knowledge encourage a culture for the practice. The successful implementation permeates to corporate business. The Human is an essential factor of Value!

There will always be good and bad employee. You can only discover to determine the relevant employees by the virtue of their values. How come some employees with potent good values end up being bad? This is very sultry and logical. Many fail to harness their values with personal goals (ambition). Although the yard stick between personal goals and personal values may not be measurable in terms of our desire for wealth. Your value is what is seen in the outward of you but your desire is hidden in you. Most people end up bad because of their unconscious consideration of the outward effect. 

When value is tainted, it affects virtually everything!

The corporate value of any organization is developed and promoted by the Directors, cascaded down by the Key Managers, Supervisors and down to the least of the employees. But remember, the culture is developed from the grass roots to the up management and down the line, simultaneously. There is an aggregate line of perception that project the real image of the corporate value where the customer aligns positively with the company.

In real time business sense no one offers 100% added value. It is expected that these values from time to time should be doubled if employer and employee demand and agreement meets expected delivery at 80% customer perception being the maximum.  

The success factor is attributed to the Management of such companies (The people). The company name is awarded and not the employees. 

We have discussed the values in three categories as subject to quality customer service. When quality service is rendered value is upheld at an aggregative. It must be sustained at the line of equity and time. When individuals value one another, when we work and team together we achieve an overall success. 

Some experiences I had with business owners, managers, supervisors and customers. Some difficult, tough, blunt, intuitive, despotic, timid, unruly, treacherous and I was able to break through. Being able to survive these choices of people has made me a better person. The word selfless service has encouraged me to rise.  Anyone’s behavior should not be a matter to your aspiration. Surely, such person has a value you can emulate because you are not perfect either. 

Your values are your success formulae! Keep learning.