Know your ministers

President	John Dramani Mahama	2012 to present
Vice President	Kwesi Amissah-Arthur[1]	2012 to present
Cabinet Ministers
Office(s)	Officeholder	Term
Minister for Foreign Affairs	Hanna Tetteh  (MP)	30 January 2013 – present
Minister for the Interior	Kwesi Ahwoi	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Finance and Economic Planning	Seth Terkper	30 January 2013 – present
Minister for Defence	Mark Owen Woyongo  (MP)	14 February 2013 – present
Attorney General and Minister for Justice	Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Education	Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang	2013 – present
Minister for Food and Agriculture	Clement Kofi Humado  (MP)	30 January 2013 – present
Minister for Trade and Industry	Haruna Iddrisu  (MP)	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Health	Hanny-Sherry Ayitey	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Information and Media Relations	Mahama Ayariga  (MP)	30 January 2013 – present
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development	Akwasi Oppong Fosu  (MP)	2013 – present
Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts	Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Energy and Petroleum	Emmanuel Armarh Kofi Buah   (MP)	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Transport	Dzifa Aku Ativor	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Roads and Highways	Aminu Sulemana   (MP)	30 January 2013 – present
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources	Inusah Fuseini  (MP)	30 January 2013 – present
Minister for Communications	Edward Omane Boamah	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Environment, Science and Technology	Oteng Adjei	2013 – present
Minister for Employment and Labour Relations	Nii Armah Ashitey   (MP)	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing	Collins Dauda  (MP)	30 January 2013 – present
Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development	Nayon Bilijo	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Youth and Sports	Elvis Afriyie Ankrah	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection	Nana Oye Lithur	2013 – present
Minister for Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs	Henry Seidu Daanaa	14 February 2013 – present
Minister for Government Business in Parliament	Benjamin Kunbuor  (MP)	14 February 2013 – present
Regional Ministers
Region	Officeholder	Term
Ashanti Region	Samuel Sarpong Eric Opoku	14 February 2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013 – present
Brong Ahafo Region	Eric Opoku Paul Evans Aidoo  (MP)	14 February 2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013
Central Region	Ebenezer Kwadwo Teye Addo Samuel Sarpong	2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013 – present
Eastern Region	Julius Debrah Helen Ntoso	2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013 – present
Greater Accra Region	Joshua Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo Julius Debrah	14 February 2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013 – present
Northern Region	Moses Bukari Mabengba (acting)[22] Bede Anwataazumo Ziedeng	7 January 2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013 – present
Upper East Region	Ephraim Avea Nsoh Alhaji Limuna Mohammed Muniru (Acting minister)	2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013 – present
Upper West Region	Bede Anwataazumo Ziedeng Ephraim Avea Nsoh	2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013 – present
Volta Region	Helen Ntoso Joshua Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo	2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013 – present
Western Region	Paul Evans Aidoo  (MP) Ebenezer Kwadwo Teye Addo	14 February 2013 – 11 March 2013 11 March 2013 – present

Source:Wikipedia

Best quotes of all time

1. “Identify your problems but give your power and energy to solutions.” Tony Robbins

2. “You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted.” Ruth E. Renkl

3. “The only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing.” Socrates

4. “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” John Wooden

5. “Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.”  Abraham Lincoln

6. ” If you are not willing to risk the usual you will have to settle for the ordinary.” Jim Rohn

7. “Trust because you are willing to accept the risk, not because it’s safe or certain.” Anonymous

8. “When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you’ve got plenty to watch.” Anonymous

9. “Screw it, Let’s do it!” Richard Branson

10. “Be content to act, and leave the talking to others.” Baltasa

11. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Steve Jobs

12. “The more you loose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.” Norman Vincent Peale

13. “If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it!” Jonathan Winters

14. “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Zig Ziglar

15. “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” John Wayne

16.“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” Les Brown

17. “The link between my experience as an entrepreneur and that of a politician is all in one word: freedom.” Silvio Berlusconi

18. “The entrepreneur builds an enterprise; the technician builds a job.” Michael Gerber

19. “A real entrepreneur is somebody who has no safety net underneath them.” Henry Kravis

20. “Most new jobs won’t come from our biggest employers. They will come from our smallest. We’ve got to do everything we can to make entrepreneurial dreams a reality.”  Ross Perot

21. “My son is now an ‘entrepreneur’. That’s what you’re called when you don’t have a job.” Ted Turner

22. “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Bill Gates

23. “As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big.” Donald Trump

24. “If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.” Thomas J Watson

25. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Edison

26. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Vidal Sassoon

27. “Capital isn’t scarce; vision is.” Sam Walton

28. “Failure defeats losers, failure inspires winners.” Robert T. Kiyosaki

29. “Some people dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them.” Anonymous

30. “I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.” Warren Buffet

31. “Going into business for yourself, becoming an entrepreneur, is the modern-day equivalent of pioneering on the old frontier.” Paula Nelson

32. “Poor people have big TV. Rich people have big library.” Jim Rohn

33. “A goal is a dream with a deadline.” Napoleon Hill

34. “Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.” Vinnie Rege

35. “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.” Zig Ziglar

36. “People are not lazy. They simply have important goals – that is, goals that do not inspire them.” Tony Robbins

37. “Nobody talks of entrepreneurship as survival, but that’s exactly what it is.” Anita Roddick

38. “The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning; to create a product or service to make the world a better place.” Guy Kawasaki

39. “A friendship founded on business is a good deal better than a business founded on friendship.” John D. Rockefeller

40. “I’ve been blessed to find people who are smarter than I am, and they help me to execute the vision I have.” Russell Simmons

41. “I find that when you have a real interest in life and a curious life, that sleep is not the most important thing.” Martha Stewart

42. “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” Albert Einstein

43. “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”  Maya Angelou

44. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

45. “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” Ralph Nader

46. “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” Benjamin Franklin

47. “Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found together.” Napoleon Hill

48. Make your product easier to buy than your competition, or you will find your customers buying from them, not you.” Mark Cuban

49. “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” Colin R. Davis

50. “If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.” Jack Welch

Prince Kofi Amoabeng: The Rising Star Of Africa

By:Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh

Some say that successful entrepreneurs are born and not made. Others disagree, saying good entrepreneurship is a talent that can be learned and nurtured.
The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. The desire to create and grow a business – large or small – requires a combination of character, talent, vision, energy, timing and a bit of luck.
What are some of the leading characteristics of a successful entrepreneur? Take Ghanaian born Prince Kofi Amoabeng as a case in point.
He dropped a military career to pursue a profession in finance, evolving from an introductory service linking friends who had money to invest with those that needed to borrow for their businesses.

Today, Mr. Amoabeng is the Chief Executive Officer of UT Bank and the UT Group. He started UT Bank (formerly UT Financial Services) in a one-room office with a staff of four (4).

Founded in 1997, they aim at providing customers with fast and efficient short-term loans and real returns on investments.
The company succeeded because he served the needs of indigenous traders, exporters and importers, as well as business organizations/people not catered for by the traditional banks.

Their clients are their most prized assets, thus providing them with quality and prompt services is their first priority, according to the business magnate.

From a very humble beginning, UT Group is now ranked high in the Ghana Club 100.

Currently, UT is a Holding company with seven subsidiaries with staff strength of over 900 people and 27 branches scattered over seven, out of the ten regions of Ghana, with an estimated turnover of $30 million.

The company seeks to serve the needs of indigenous traders, exporters and importers as well as business organizations/people not catered for by the traditional banks. Their clients are their most prized assets, thus providing them with quality and prompt services is their first priority.

From a very humble beginning, UT Financial Services now UT Bank and UT Group is now a household in Ghana and Africa at large.
As part of their global “Walk with Giants” campaign, Johnnie Walker last year unveiled him as new Ghanaian Giant.
Mr. Amoabeng is the recent recipient of the Johnnie Walker Bank of the Year Award.
His personal journey has taken him from military officer to highly-successful, award-winning entrepreneur. His career, with UT Bank as well as other endeavours such as his role on the Council of Enablis Ghana, has been characterised by a desire to encouraging entrepreneurial spirit in Ghana.
Johnnie Walker is the world’s most awarded Scotch whisky brand and is globally renowned for the Red Label blend- the most popular premium Scotch whisky in the world – and Black label, the best selling 12-year old blend as well as their collection of rare, super-premium, blends.
The Walk With Giants campaign, featuring the brand’s iconic Striding Man, celebrates individuals who can be considered ‘Giants’ in their fields and who share their personal stories to inspire others to take the next step on their personal journey.
Mr Amoabeng is referred to by his plethora of admirers and colleague captains of industry as Ghana’s Steve Jobs.
Mr. Amoabeng guided the way and did it with skill, style and high passion and dexterity. He had the right products and services at the right time – which translated into high demand on a mass market scale.
But all that would have been worthless without Mr. Amoabeng’s own unique brand of commitment, high energy and determination.
Tenacity, perseverance and courage are other characteristics of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs which he and his partner, Joseph Nsonamoah, employed into the business.
They need a high level of tolerance for risk. They believe in themselves, sometimes against great odds. And they have prepared to pick up the pieces and start over again if there were challenges. But God being good, they were able to sail through.
EDUCATION
Prince Kofi Amoabeng is the Chief Executive Officer of UT Bank and the UT Group. He is a retired military officer (Captain) and an investment consultant.
He graduated from the premier Business School in Ghana, University of Ghana Business School, with B.Sc Admin (Accounting).
He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute Management Accountants (CMA-UK) and a member of Chartered Accountants CA (GH).
From 1992-2003, he lectured at the Ghana Stock Exchange. He has extensive experience in managing businesses through excellent customer relations, strategic and tactical business planning as well as strategic partnerships.
Mr. Amoabeng had earlier ventured into various enterprises, working with companies like Opayesco Wood Processing Company Limited, Jamhaus Limited, K.K. Power Company Limited and P. K. Amoabeng Enterprise Limited.
He started UT Bank (formerly UT Financial Services) in a one-room office with a staff of four (4). Today UT is a Holding company with seven subsidiaries, with staff strength of over 900 people and 27 branches scattered over seven out of the ten regions of Ghana.
AWARDS                                                                                                                   Mr. Amoabeng’s sterling leadership and entrepreneurial skills has won him and his company a number of laurels. Among his awards are:

• Most Respected CEO (Pricewaterhousecoopers and B&FT newspaper)2012, 2010, 2008
• Ghana’s Giant for Johnny Walker’s ‘Walk with the Giants’ project (2012)
• Finalist in the Ernst & Young West Africa Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2011)
• Overall Best Entrepreneur in the Maiden Ghana Entrepreneurs Award (2011)
• One of two Ghanaians profiled in Moky Makura’s book on Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs which profiles 16 of Africa’s top entrepreneurs.
  • Two times running Ghana’s Most Respected CEO for 2008/2010
  • National Honours for an Order of the Star of the Volta- Officer’s Division presented by the President of Ghana in 2008.
  • Marketing Man of the Year 2006.

BOARD MEMBERSHIPS
Prince Kofi Amoabeng has been on the board since he founded Unique
Trust in 1997.
Mr Amoabeng is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Interbank Payment Settlement System (GHIPSS), member of the Council of Enablis Ghana (Canadian Entrepreneurial NGO) and member of the International Advisory Board of China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), in Ghana.
PRINCE KOFI AMOABENG AS A PHILANTHROPIST
Through the UT Group, the seasoned entrepreneur has supported many civil society organizations with several millions of Ghana cedis.
These include the Ghana Heart Foundation, Ghana Blind Union, Ghana Trust Fund, Light Outreach International, Family Outreach Ghana, Countryside Orphanage, Ghana Education Centre and orphanages across the length and breadth of the country.
Mr. Amoabeng also extended his generosity to a number of individuals, especially students of both secondary and tertiary education.
AS A SPORTMAN
As the maxim goes: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, Mr. Amoabeng moves from the heavy loaded business desk to engage in some sporting activities. He is a prolific golfer. Mr. Amoabeng is an active member of the Tafo Golf Club.

Indeed, entrepreneurs are the future of many economies, especially emerging, developing and the least developed ones. 
It is, therefore, not surprising that great entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs give us hope in the hardest of times.
In Ghana, Prince Kofi Amoabeng is an entrepreneur who makes majority of Ghanaians and Africans in general very proud.
To quote an American author and entrepreneur, Brian Koslow: “If you nurture your mind, body and spirit, your time will expand. You will gain a new perspective that will allow you to accomplish much more.”
This quotation best fits well with the humble and affable Mr. Amoabeng, whose story can be told.
Entrepreneurship is a key driver of our economy. Wealth and a high majority of jobs are created by small businesses started by entrepreneurially-minded individuals like Mr. Amoabeng and his partner.
People exposed to entrepreneurship frequently express that they have more opportunity to exercise creative freedoms, higher self esteem, and an overall greater sense of control over their own lives.
As a result, many experienced business people political leaders, economists, and educators believe that fostering a robust entrepreneurial culture will maximize individual and collective economic and social success on a local, national, and global scale.

Stay Positive

How Staying Positive Helps

It's likely our species survived because of our knack for detecting danger. But our worry-filled thoughts can present dangers of their own: Thinking negatively can drag down our moods, our actions and even our health.
Experts say it's worthwhile—and possible—to learn how to think more positively. 
Consider what researchers found about the benefits of staying positive:

• People who were pessimistic had a nearly 20 percent higher risk of dying over a 30-year period than those who were optimistic
• People who kept track of their gratitude once a week were more upbeat and had fewer physical complaints than others
• People who obsessively repeated negative thoughts and behaviors were able to change their unhealthy patterns—and their brain activity actually changed too.

Ways to Stay Positive

Foster Optimism

Trying to be optimistic doesn't mean ignoring the uglier sides of life. It just means focusing on the positive as much as possible-and it gets easier with practice.
If you want to pump up your optimism, you might:

• Write about a positive future. The idea is to envision your goals and dreams come true. Tips include:
  • Write about your great future life. Writing helps you absorb ideas better than just thinking.
  • Set aside time so you can go into detail. Researcher Laura King, PhD, who proved this exercise a great mood booster, assigned 20 minutes on four consecutive days.
  • A variation on this exercise is to imagine positive outcomes in a particularly challenging situation.
    
• Search for the silver lining. Looking for the positive in a negative situation may sound sappy, but it can actually show great strength. To find your silver lining, ask yourself: 
  • How have I grown from this situation?
  • Are my relationships stronger now?
  • Have I developed new skills?
  • What am I proud of about the way I handled this situation?

Practice Gratitude

Noticing and appreciating the positives in our lives offers a great mood boost.
To increase your gratefulness, you can:

• Write a gratitude letter. Researcher Martin Seligman, PhD, asked subjects to write a letter thanking someone who had been particularly kind to them and then deliver it in person. The letter-writers enjoyed impressive positive effects even a month later. 
• Keep a gratitude journal. Write down anything large or small that makes you smile, including terrific achievements, touching moments and great relationships.
• Remind yourself to savor. Yes, stop and smell the roses-and look at them and touch them. Do whatever you can to really soak in the lovelier aspects of your life.
• Share your good news. Studies of people's reactions to positive developments suggest that those who tell a friend about a happy event enjoy it even more.

Avoid Negative Thinking

If you want to feel positive, it pays to decrease the downers in your life. With practice, you can resist worrisome thoughts and perhaps even transform your internal critic into more of a cheering squad.

• Avoid dwelling on downers. Focusing on negatives isn't just unpleasant, it also can make you less effective in tackling tasks you face. In a study of test-takers, those who fixated on worrisome thoughts performed worse than those who were distracted from their worries. To stifle your obsessing:
  
• Ask yourself if the issue is really worth your energy. Will this issue matter in a year, for example?
• Tell yourself you'll worry about it at a specific time later. Chances are you'll feel better by the appointed time.
• Instead of just spinning your worry wheels, try a concrete problem-solving exercise.
• Distract yourself: Go to a movie, pump up some music, find something fun to do.
  
• Change unhealthy self-talk. You may have been running negative messages in your head for a long time. But research shows that you can learn to shift your thoughts and that, over time, you can literally change your brain. Consider trying some techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy, which works in part by looking at how changing your thoughts can change your life. Some tips include:
• Ask yourself if your negative thought is really true. Are you really a terrible mother if you didn't make it to the class play? You're probably involved in innumerable other ways.  
• Remember any achievements that disprove your insecurity. If you think you'll flop at the office party, remember other social occasions when you were outgoing and confident.
• Imagine what you'd tell a friend if he was worrying in ways that you are. You'd likely convince him to wait a bit before assuming the worst.
• Beware of all-or-nothing thinking. Disappointing your girlfriend once doesn't mean you're doomed to disappoint her all the time. 
• Consider alternative explanations. If your boss hasn't responded to your proposal it could be because he's busy and not because he doesn't like it. 
  Source:liveyourlifewell.com

The Ultimate Inspiration

HELEN KELLER

Helen Keller at the age of 19 months,(not quite 2 years old) was a happy, healthy child. She was already saying a few words.

Then she had a high fever which caused her to become deaf and blind. No longer could she see nor hear. She felt lost. She would hang on to her mother's skirt to get around. She would feel of people's hands to try to find out what they were doing. She learned to do many things this way. She learned to milk a cow and knead the bread dough.

She could recognize people by feeling of their faces or their clothes.

She made up signs with her hands so she could "talk" to her family. She had 60 different signs. If she wanted bread, she pretended to be cutting a loaf. If she wanted ice cream, she would hug her shoulders and shiver.

Helen was a very bright child. She became very frustrated * because she couldn't talk. She became very angry and began to throw temper tantrums * . The family knew they had to do something to help her.

They found a teacher named Anne Sullivan. Miss Sullivan herself had been blind, but had an operation and regained her sight. She understood what Helen was feeling.

She taught Helen the signs for the letters of the alphabet. Then she would "spell" the words in Helen's hand to communicate * with her.

One day Anne led Helen to the water pump and pumped water on her hand. She spelled the letters W-A-T-E-R as the water ran over Helen's hand. She did this over and over again. At last it dawned on Helen that the word "water" meant the water which she felt pouring over her hand. This opened up a whole new world for her. She ran everywhere asking Anne the name of different things and Anne would spell the words in her hand. This was the key which unlocked the world for her.

She eventually stopped having the tantrums. Anne taught her for years. Helen learned to read Braille * . This was a system of raised dots representing letters. A blind person could read by feeling of the dots.

When she went to college, her teacher Anne went with her and tapped out the words of the instructors into her student's hand.

Helen had an amazing memory, and she also had skills very few people have ever been able to develop. She could put her fingers to a person's lips and understand the words which were being spoken.

While she was in college she wrote her book called "The Story of My Life". With the money she earned from the book she was able to buy a house.

She became famous and traveled around the world speaking to groups of people. She met many important and well-known people as she traveled.

Helen Keller was successful because of her determination. However, many people helped her. The most important person in her life was Anne Sullivan who stayed with her for 50 years.

How Does Coca Cola Affect Your Body?

1. The Coca Cola Roller Coaster

   • Coke and other similar flavored colas are popular in the United States and around the world. However, just because they have become a staple does not mean that they are healthy. Coke contains large amounts of sugar and caffeine, both of which cause specific reactions in the body. Coca Cola brand cola was originally produced with cocaine. Although the cocaine has long been removed from the bubbly beverage, it still gets people high. The combination of sugar, phosphorus and caffeine cause the body to embark on a roller coaster of ups and downs.

   Sugar High

   • One can of Coca Cola contain 27 carbohydrates. That translates into approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar. When you drink a Coca Cola, the first thing that happens is that the body begins to absorb all of that sugar. Within 20 minutes, the liver will begin to respond to this sugar rush by turning all sugars already in the body into fat to be used for energy at a later date. At this point blood sugar levels are elevated and the body is producing insulin in abundance.
     As the body begins to adjust to the sugar in Coca Cola, the caffeine begins to take affect. The caffeine absorption process begins within 15 minutes of ingestion. Coca Cola Classic contains 23 mg of caffeine. Although this is significantly less than is in the average cup of coffee, which contains approximately 80 mg, it does have an impact on the body. Caffeine causes blood pressure levels to rise and pupils to dilate. Because of elevated blood pressure levels, the body will automatically process more sugar into the liver, which turns that sugar into fat as well.

The Dope

• If drinking Coke wasn't pleasant, chances are it would not be one of the top-selling brands of soda. According to blisstree.com, the body also increases dopamine production within 45 minutes of ingestion, which triggers feelings of pleasure in the brain (see Resources). At this point the body is cruising from a sugar and caffeine rush, and feeling good due to increased dopamine. However, caffeine has diuretic properties, and approximately an hour after ingestion the body increases urination. Phosphorous, used to cut the sweet flavor of coke, binds itself with calcium, magnesium and zinc, all of which are used for healthy bones, within the small intestines. As the diuretic properties of coke begin to take affect, the body will eliminate all of the phosphorous, and by proxy the calcium, magnesium and zinc. This is unfortunate, because if absorbed, those minerals would have been beneficial for the body. In addition, the diuretic properties cancel out the hydration associated with this beverage.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

• The final step in the Coca Cola roller coaster is the impending crash. The body will actually crash twice, once from sugar and then again from caffeine. About an hour after ingesting cola the body will come down off the sugar. This causes feelings of sluggishness and crankiness. Following this initial crash, the body will also begin to come down off of caffeine (within two hours), increasing the feelings of sluggishness and causing headaches in those sensitive to caffeine. In addition, the feelings may make you crave another coke.

Source:http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4927791_coca-cola-affect-body.html

Roland’s rise from rags to riches; a riveting story of RLG

Roland Agambire Roland Agambire, CEO of RLG saved a life on his 38th birthday last Thursday, but the enduring story of his rise from rags to riches could save the sinking hopes and battered dreams of millions of Ghanaian and African youth. It is not just another story, another statistic of people with humble beginnings moving up the social ladder. It is the story of faith; an incredible montage of pain, poverty mixed with an intoxicating passion to break the odds of poverty and to live the global dream. Roland shared that dream with millions of listeners on Joy FM’s Personality Profile segment on Drive Time with Bola Ray. Agambire who is now the chairman of the Agams Group of Companies [with Seven Great Integrated Companies] was only a statistic growing up. To say the family was poor was an understatement; he had 50 siblings; his mother was the sixth of his father’s ten wives. They all lived in Sirigu, a town in the Kassena Nankana district of the Upper East Region. With such a family, Roland was right in saying the possibility of being forgotten is real and rife. On the same mat, Roland said, ten people slept in the evening like prisoners in a crowded jail; woke up in the morning and ate from the same bowl. He learnt the lessons of poverty the hard way but was gracious all through the learning curve. At age six, he started making money by picking monies from beer bars in Sirigu; monies dropped by people who have had enough to drink the night before and just enough money to spare. If the monies were not blown away by the air, they ended up in the pockets of Roland Agambire. Part of that money paid for his school fees at a primary school in Sirigu and the other part invested into business. At Navrongo Secondary School, the stakes were high; the school fees higher and needed the highest innovation to endure. During vacation, Roland Agambire moved down south to the capital, Accra, pushed trucks, washed dishes in chop bars, just to make some money to pay his school fees when school reopened. Blessings of poverty He persevered in all that. Instead of being heartbroken by the harsh realities of life and giving up as many would do, Roland had a dream; lived that dream and now is a global player with RLG a household name in Ghana and offices in Dubai, China, Nigeria, Gambia. Poverty, Agambire said, is a blessing in disguise. It toughened him up; a stage every man must experience even if for a short while. Agambire has three lovely girls; an adorable wife-Miriam- and coincidentally celebrating ten years of marriage and ten years of RLG Communications. His vision is to employ one million people by 2015. On his 38th birthday, Roland paid ¢18,000 as full cost of treatment to save a child suffering from a kidney problem and what a way to pay back society for its blessings. Raise your glasses, and lets toast to the success story of RLG; to applied persistence and determination; to Roland Agambire who saw poverty, conquered it and walked into riches and now drives in a ‘little beast’ of a car.  Source:myjoyonline

7 Inspiring Short Stories with Powerful Lesson

Sometimes an inspiring story helps us find out the strength within us. An inspiring story helps you inspire yourself and motivate yourself. It also helps find out what you can do and what you can not. There are hundreds you may have read in your life. But how many of them actually made changes in your mind is a question.
Don’t just read a story. Feel the story by your heart and learn the lesson every story gives you. Then you will not only feel more powerful. But the story of your own life will change. Here are some inspiring short stories that not only gives a powerful lesson, but can also be helpful to learn about some unknown truths about life.
1. It’s Little Things that Make a Big Difference.
There was a man taking a morning walk at or the beach. He saw that along with the morning tide came hundreds of starfish and when the tide receded, they were left behind and with the morning sun rays, they would die. The tide was fresh and the starfish were alive. The man took a few steps, picked one and threw it into the water. He did that repeatedly.
Right behind him there was another person who couldn’t understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him and asked, “What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?” This man did not reply, took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, “It makes a difference to this one.”

What difference are we making? Big or small, it does not matter. If everyone made a small difference, we’d end up with a big difference, wouldn’t we? 
2. Meaningless Goals.
A farmer had a dog who used to sit by the roadside waiting for vehicles to come around. As soon as one came he would run down the road, barking and trying to overtake it. One day a neighbor asked the farmer “Do you think your dog is ever going to catch a car?” The farmer replied, “That is not what bothers me. What bothers me is what he would do if he ever caught one.”
Many people in life behave like that dog who is pursuing meaningless goals. 
3. How would You Like to be Remembered?
About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The news papers had reported the death of the wrong person by mistake. His first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he regained his composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said about him. The obituary read, “Dynamite King Dies.” And also “He was the merchant of death.” 
This man was the inventor of dynamite and when he read the words “merchant of death,” he asked himself a question, “Is this how I am going to be remembered?” He got in touch with his feelings and decided that this was not the way he wanted to be remembered. From that day on, he started working toward peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel Prize.
Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his values,
We should step back and do the same.
What is your legacy?
How would you like to be remembered?
Will you be spoken well of?
Will you be remembered with love and respect?
Will you be missed?
4. The Obstacles in Our Path.
In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. 
Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.
As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.
5. Everyone is Important.
During Mark’s first month of college, the professor gave his students a pop quiz. He was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until he read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely this was some kind of joke. He had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would he know her name? He handed in his paper, leaving the last question blank.
Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward the quiz grade. “Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They each deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello’”. Mark never forgot that lesson. He also learned her name was Dorothy.
Everyone in your life is everyone just like the people you give importance to.
6. Everyone has a Story in Life.
A 24 year old boy seeing out from the train’s window shouted…
“Dad, look the trees are going behind!”
Dad smiled and a young couple sitting nearby, looked at the 24 year old’s childish behavior with pity,
suddenly he again exclaimed…
“Dad, look the clouds are running with us!”
The couple couldn’t resist and said to the old man…
“Why don’t you take your son to a good doctor?”
The old man smiled and said…
“I did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he just got his eyes today.
7. Unnecessary Doubts.
A boy ‘n a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her. The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed. The boy kept the biggest ‘n the most beautiful marble aside ‘n gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised. That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn’t sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.

If you don’t give your hundred percent in a relationship, you’ll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent.

Source:http://uniquelifeguide.com/2012/08/inspiring-short-stories.html/

18 Tips For Success (From Richard Branson)

Richard Branson founded Virgin in 1970 at the age of 20, and he hasn’t looked back.
He’s the only entrepreneur to have built eight separate billion-dollar companies in eight different industries — and he did it all without a degree in business.
“Had I pursued my education long enough to learn all the conventional dos and don’ts of starting a business I often wonder how different my life and career might have been,” he writes in his new book, Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School.
We’ve compiled some of the best tips from his book here.
1. Don’t do it if you don’t enjoy it.
Running a business takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (and caffeine). But at the end of the day, you should be building something you will be proud of.
Branson says, “When I started Virgin from a basement in west London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didn’t set out to build a business empire … For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that’s going to make a real difference to other people’s lives.”
 
2. Be visible.
Branson received some timeless advice when building Virgin Airlines from Sir Freddie Laker, a British airline “tycoon.”
“Make sure you appear on the front page and not the back pages,” said Laker. “You are going to have to get out there and sell yourself. Make a fool of yourself, whatever it takes. Otherwise you won’t survive”.
Branson always makes a point of traveling often and meeting as many people as he can. This, he says, is how he came by some of the best suggestions and ideas for his business.
 
3. Choose your name wisely.
The unique name and brand that Virgin employs is one of the things that has made the company a success. Branson makes sure that the name ‘Virgin’ represents added value, improved service, and a fresh, sexy approach.
Branson says that he is asked all the time about the origin of the Virgin name, back when Virgin was just starting. “One night, I was chatting with a group of sixteen-year-old girls over a few drinks about a name for the record store,” he says. “A bunch of ideas were bounced around, then, as we were all new to business, someone suggested Virgin. It smacked of new and fresh and at the time the word was still slightly risqué, so, thinking it would be an attention-grabber, we went with it.”
 
4. You can’t run a business without taking risks.
Branson thinks of one of his favorite sayings when advising about taking business risks: “‘The brave may not live forever—but the cautious do not live at all!’”
Every business involves risks. Be prepared to get knocked down, says Branson, but success rarely comes from playing it safe. You may fail, but Branson also dares to point out that “there’s no such thing as a total failure.”
 
5. The first impression is everything. So is the second.
The first impression you make on customers will probably be when you acquire them. The first impression is extremely important, says Branson, but the second is equally as important.
The second time a customer usually contacts Virgin, it’s because he or she is having problems with the product or service. How you present yourself and your brand in these situations says a lot about how your brand maintains good customer relationships and handles obstacles.
 
6. Perfection is unattainable.
“There’s an inherent danger in letting people think that they have perfected something,” says Branson. “When they believe they’ve ‘nailed it’, most people tend to sit back and rest on their laurels while countless others will be labouring furiously to better their work!”
For this reason, Branson never gives anyone a 100% perfect review of their work. He believes that no matter how “brilliantly conceived” something is, there is always room for improvement.
 
7. The customer is always right, most of the time.
The customer is always right… unless they’re wrong. After all, they’re only human too. Your customers’ opinions are important, but “you should not build your customer service system on the premise that your organisation will never question the whims of your clients,” says Branson.
Branson warns that many entrepreneurs think if they provide ‘the-customer-is-always-right’ service that it will improve their businesses. This is only sometimes true. Beware not to damage relationships with customers or staff with your customer service policies.
 
8. Define your brand.
When it comes to defining your brand, Branson advises entrepreneurs to do the opposite of what he did with Virgin, which is spreading out all over the place. And while it’s true that Virgin branches into many different industries, Branson says the company is actually quite focused on one thing: “finding new ways to help people have a good time.”
Stick to what you know. Underpromise and overdeliver. Because if you don’t define your brand, your competitors will.
 
9. Explore uncharted territory.
Branson compares exploring new territory in business to exploring new territory in science or geography.
“We will find new species and better understand the make-up of the deep-level waters,” says Branson.
Business translation: There are still many things out there that haven’t been discovered, invented, achieved. Exploring little- or uncharted areas can spark new ideas and innovations.
 
10. Beware the “us vs. them” environment.
A workplace should be one in which the boss and his or her employees communicate well and work together toward the same goal. “If employees aren’t associating themselves with their company by using ‘we’, it is a sign that people up and down the chain of command aren’t communicating,” says Branson.
If you think there might be discrepancies or tension between employees and management, Branson advises to check with the middle management first to try to uncover the source of the problem and address it head-on.
 
11. Build a corporate comfort zone.
Employees must feel free and encouraged to openly express themselves without rigid confines so they can do better work and make good, impactful decisions.
“This may sound like a truism,” begins Branson, “But it has to be said: It takes an engaged, motivated and committed workforce to deliver a first-class product or service and build a successful, sustainable enterprise.”
 
12. Not everyone is suited to be CEO.
A manager needs to be someone who “brings out the best in people,” someone who communicates well with others and helps an employee learn from a mistake instead of criticizing them for it.
Not everyone does this well, and that’s okay. The founder can but doesn’t have to be the CEO; if the fit isn’t right, he or she should know when the role is meant for someone else.
 
13. Seek a second opinion. Seek a third.
Branson says you must learn to be a good listener in order to succeed, and that means bouncing “every idea you have off numerous people before finally saying, ‘We’ll give this one a miss,’ or ‘Let’s do it.’”
That means being thorough and deliberate before executing any decisions. In business, seeking a variety of opinions “can save you a lot of time and money,” says Branson. “Don’t tell people about others’ suggestions until you’ve heard what they have to say. In the end you may decide that the best advice is to walk away—and later find out it was the very best solution.”
 
14. Cut ties without burning bridges.
Business ventures with another person, be it a friend or a partner, don’t always work out. If this is the case, successful entrepreneurs know when to part ways.
But just because you decide to go in another direction doesn’t mean things have to end badly, especially with a friend, says Branson. Handle any problems quickly and head-on, and end the relationship as amicably as possible.
 
15. Pick up the phone.
It’s great to be tech-savvy, but don’t text or email when you should be calling. “The quality of business communications has become poorer in recent years as people avoid phone calls and face-to-face meetings, I can only assume, in some misguided quest for efficiency,” Branson says.
Problems are more difficult to solve by text or email, and “there is nothing efficient about allowing a small problem to escalate,” says Branson, when it could have been easily addressed with a phone call.
 
16. Change shouldn’t be feared, but it should be managed.
“Companies aren’t future-proof,” says Branson, and nothing lasts forever. An entrepreneur should be prepared to adapt, and avoid being nostalgic about the company itself.
“Sometimes you have to take your company in a new direction because circumstances and opportunities have changed.” If this is the case, Branson advises that you should “find ways to inspire all employees to think like entrepreneurs … so the more responsibility you give people the better they will perform.”
 
17. When it comes to making mistakes, bounce back, don’t fall down.
Your decision will not always be the best decision. Everyone makes mistakes, but the best thing you can do in the face of a mistake is own up to it.
Honesty isn’t just the best policy, it’s the only policy, notes Branson. When a mistake is made, don’t let it consume you. Uncover the problem and get to work fixing it.
 
18. Be a leader, not a boss.
Branson sees the classic image of “the boss” as an anachronism. Being bossy is not a desirable trait in a manager, he says. A boss orders while a leader organizes.
“Perhaps, therefore, it is odd that if there is any one phrase that is guaranteed to set me off it’s when someone says to me, ‘Okay, fine. You’re the boss!’” says Branson. “What irks me is that in 90 percent of such instances what that person is really saying is ‘Okay, then, I don’t agree with you but I’ll roll over and do it because you’re telling me to. But if it doesn’t work out I’ll be the first to remind everyone that it wasn’t my idea.’”
A good corporate leader is someone who doesn’t just execute his or her own ideas, but also inspires others to come forth with their own.
Source: Businessinsider.com

It's time for action

It's nothing new to come upon highly motivational, spirit-filled write-up by noble Ghanaians in their bid to discuss national issues and make an impact. I sometimes read these articles and become so inspired by them only to realize I'm back in my old ways of apathy a few days later.
 I begin to question; when will we stop discussing issues in new papers and begin tackling problems pragmatically? Are we always going to sit around and manipulate byzantine English of unknown origin and etymology? Shouldn't we stop these endless brainstorming and discussions and actually go onto the ground and be the change we want to see? Wouldn't other have stronger motivation to follow our initial pace we set?
In deed as a nation enjoying sovereignty for more than 56 years albeit being bedevilled by military uprisings for some time, one would expect that we would have achieved a level of mental autonomy to a point where we can act without any form of external interference. But what do we see? We never move beyond the pages of newspapers and always expect someone to do something about what we write about.
Perhaps we have to examine our educational system; It is too knowledge based with less emphasis on practicality. I remember from Junior High School how we used to discuss problems in agriculture in Social Studies and even write essays on them. I rewrote these same problems in my W.A.S.S.C.E. exam. I am not too skeptical about the fact that primary school children today are still writing the same problems in their exams.
Ghana! Arise! It's time for action