Approach Problems Pragmatically, Prof Nkrumah Tells Entrepreneurs

Tema, Aug. 14, - Professor S.A. Nkrumah, Director of the School of Administration, University of Ghana, has called on Ghanaian businessmen to adopt pragmatic and modern cultures, instead of consulting oracles and spiritual churches for success. Prof Nkrumah was speaking on ''problems facing Ghanaian businesses and how they can be solved'' at the monthly meeting of the Tema municipal branch of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce at Tema yesterday. He said some businessmen think that spirits have influence on the success of their businesses and fail to make appropriate efforts to enhance their performance. They therefore become susceptible to all kinds of tricks by jujumen and spiritualists, a situation which breeds poor working relationship between managers and their workers, he said. "Go to church but know where to place your limit," Prof Nkrumah advised. Prof. Nkrumah said it is important to draw a line between business and spiritual beliefs, reminding them that business is based on things that make sense and can be explained. He said in spite of technological advancement Ghana still has a mixture of both modern and traditional ways of running businesses. One problem which must be eliminated is the so-called ''African punctuality'' since modern business is run on punctuality. He criticised other considerations to ensure loyalty at the expense of expertise which breeds mistrust, deceit among businessmen and authoritarian management practices which have contributed to the collapse of businesses. Prof. Nkrumah urged businessmen to engage the services of consultants to help them identify problems for rectification.

Accra, Aug 14, - An envoy from President Lansana Conte of Guinea today delivered a special message to President Jerry John Rawlings and held talks with him on the crisis in Sierra Leone. The envoy, Mr Lamine Kamara, is attending the two-day ECOWAS committee of four on Sierra Leone which opened at the International Conference Centre today. Other members of the committee are Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire. It was set up to resolve peacefully the political crisis in Sierra Leone following the ouster of President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah on May 25. The coup led by Major Johnny Paul Koroma drew international condemnation while ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) has imposed economic sanctions and called on the military junta to reinstate deposed President Kabbah. President Rawlings spoke about the peaceful resolution of the Liberian crisis through ''our tenacity and collective effort'' and hoped the same could happen in Sierra Leone as early as possible but at less cost. Mr Kamara told President Rawlings that President Conte should have met Major Koroma last Friday but the meeting could not come on. He said on Saturday, a delegation from Freetown led by ex- President General Joseph Momoh called on President Conte to express regret that Major Kororma could not attend. ''The General said Major Koroma is willing to meet the Guinean leader for talks on the Sierra Leone crisis. ''Therefore, President Conte has asked me to inform you about the proposed meeting with Major Koroma and at the meeting he will reaffirm the stand of ECOWAS and the OAU on the crisis'', Mr Kamara told President Rawlings. The position of the two bodies is that the coup makers should reinstate deposed President Kabbah. Mr Victor Gbeho, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, said the proposed meeting between President Conte and Major Koroma ''gladdens the hearts of all those involved in the resolution of the crisis in Sierra Leone''. He said Ghana believes in a peaceful resolution of the crisis and ''welcomes the Guinean leader's decision to meet Major Koroma. Ghana will support this initiative''. Mr Gbeho however hoped the meeting would not be at the expense of previous decisions taken by the continental and sub- regional bodies - a return to constitutionality in Sierra Leone. He spoke about previous meetings the coup leader failed to attend and said ''it is clear the regime in Sierra Leone has been playing for time''.