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theuncannytruthteller · 5 years ago

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THE UNFORGETTABLE NIGERIAN: WEALTH, WEALTH EVERYWHERE

Alhaji Alhassan Dantata (1877 - August 17, 1955) was a Nigerian businessman who was the wealthiest man in West Africa at the time of his death.

HERITAGE

Dantata's father was Abdullahi, a man from the village of Danshayi, near Kano. Dantata was born in Bebeji in 1877, one of several children of Abdullahi and his wife, both of whom were traders and caravan leaders.

Bebeji was on the Kano to Gonja (now in northern Ghana) and Kano to Lagos routes. The people of Bebeji, at least those from the Zango (campsite) were great traders. Bebeji was considered a miniature Kano. There was a saying which went “If Kano has 10 kolas, Bebeji has 20 halves" or in Hausa: "Birni tana da goro goma, ke Bebeji kina da bari 20".

The town attracted many people of different backgrounds in the 19th century, such as the Yorubas, Nupes, Agalawas, etc. It was controlled by the Sarki (chief) of Bebeji who was responsible for the protection of Kano from attack from the southwest.

Alhassan was born into an Agalawa trading family. His father Madugu Abdullahi was a wealthy trader and caravan leader while his mother was also a trader of importance in her own right enjoying the title of Maduga-Amarya. Abdullahi, in his turn, was a son of another prosperous merchant, Baba Talatin. It was he who brought the family from Katsina, probably at the beginning of the nineteenth century, following the death of his father, Ali.

Abdullahi already had a reputation of some wealth from his ventures with his father and therefore inherited his father’s position as a recognized and respected Madugu. Like his father, he preferred the Nupe and Gonja routes. He specialized in the exchange of Kano dyed cloth, cattle, slaves and so on for the kola of the Akan forest. Surprisingly, he had added cowries brought to the coast by European traders to the items he carried back to Kano.

BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE

Abdullahi continued to operate from Madobi until 1877 when having just set out for a journey to Gonja, his wife delivered in the Zango (campsite) of Bebeji. The child was a boy and after the usual seven days, he was named Alhassan. Abdullahi purchased a house in the town and left his nursing wife and child to await his return from Gonja. On his return, he decided to abandon Madobi and moved to Bebeji. Some say that the house that contains his tomb is still held by the family. The date of his death is unknown, but it was probably about 1885 when Alhassan was between seven and eight years of age. By then he had brothers and sisters – Shuaibu, Malam Jaji, Malam Bala, Malam Sidi and others.

The children were too young to succeed to their father’s position and to manage his considerable wealth. They all received their portion according to Islamic law. Maduga Amarya was known to be such a forceful character that nobody in the Zango would take her to wife. She therefore decided to leave the children in Bebeji, in the care of an old slave woman, while she moved to Accra where she became one of the wealthier Hausa traders.

The slave was known as "Tata" from which circumstance young Alhassan became known as Alhassan Dantata because of her role as his ‘mother’ (" Dantata" means "son of Tata”).

Alhassan was sent to a Qur'anic school (madrasah) in Bebeji and as his share of his father’s wealth (as so often happens), seemed to have vanished, he had to support himself. The life of the almajiri (Qur’anic student) is difficult, as he has to find food and clothing for himself and also for his malam (teacher) and at the same time read. Some simply beg while others seek paid work. Alhassan worked and even succeeded at the insistence of Tata in saving. His asusu, “money box” (a pottery vessel) purchased by Tata and set in the wall of the house can still be seen.

When he was about 15 years of age, Alhassan joined a Gonja bound caravan to see his mother. He purchased some items from Bebeji, sold half of them on the way and the rest in Accra. When he saw his mother, he was very delighted hoping she would allow him to live without doing any work since she was one of the wealthier local traders. After only a rest of one day, she took him to another malam and asked him to stay there until he was ready to return to Kano and he worked harder in Accra than he did in Bebeji. After the usual reading of the Qur’an, Alhassan Dantata had to go and beg for food for his malam, and himself. When he worked for money on Thursdays and Fridays, Alhassan Dantata would not be allowed to spend the money for himself alone, his malam always took the lion’s share (this is normal in Hausa society). After the visit, his mother sent him back to Bebeji where he continued his studies. Even though now a teenager, Tata continued to insist that he must save something everyday.

When he was still a teenager, great upheavals occurred in the Kano Emirate. This included the Kano Civil War (1893-1894) and the British invasion of the emirate (1903). During the Kano Civil war, Alhassan and his brothers were captured and sold as slaves, but they were able to buy back their freedom and return to Bebeji shortly afterwards.

Alhassan remained in Bebeji until matters had settled down and the roads were secure, only then did he set out for Accra, by way of Ibadan and Lagos (Ikko) and then by sea to Accra and then to Kumasi, Sekondi and back to Lagos. Alhassan was one of the pioneers of this route. For several years, he carried his kola by sea, using steamers; to Lagos where he usually sold it to Kano bound merchants. By this time, he was relatively wealthy.

In 1906, he began broadening his interests by trading in beads, necklaces, European cloth, etc. His mother, who had never remarried, died in Accra around 1908 and he thereafter generally restricted his operations to Lagos and Kano, although he continued to visit Accra.

CAREER

Thus far in his career, with most of his fellow long distance traders, he continued to live in one of the towns some distance from Kano City, only visiting the Birni for business purposes. Before Alhassan settled in Kano permanently, he visited Kano City only occasionally to either purchase or sell his wares. He did not own a house there, but was satisfied with the accommodation given to him by his patoma (land lord.). It was during the time of the first British appointed Emir of Kano; Abbas (1903-1919) that Alhassan decided to establish a home in Kano. He purchased his first house in the Sarari area (an extension of Koki). At that time there were no houses from the house of Baban Jaki (at the end of Koki) up to Kofar Mazugal. In fact the area was called Sarari because it was empty and nobody wanted that land. Alhassan built his first house on that land and was able thereafter to extend it freely.

In 1912, when the Europeans started to show an interest in the export of groundnut, they contacted the already established Kano merchants through the Emir, Abbas and their chief agent, Adamu Jakada. Some established merchants of Kano like Umaru Sharubutu, Maikano Agogo and others were approached and accepted the offer.

Later in 1918, Alhassan was approached by the Niger Company to help purchase groundnuts for them. He was already familiar with the manner by which people made fortunes by buying cocoa for Europeans in the Gold Coast. He responded and participated in the enterprise with enthusiasm, he had several advantages over other Kano business men: he could speak some English because of his contact with the people on the coast, thus he could negotiate more directly with the European traders for better prices. He also had accumulated a large capital and unlike other established Kano merchants, had only a small family to maintain, as he was still a relatively young man.

Alhassan had excellent financial management, was frugal and unostentatious. He knew some accounting and with the help of Alhaji Garba Maisikeli, his financial controller for 38 years, every kobo was accounted for every day. Not only that, Alhassan was hard working and always around to provide personal supervision of his workers. As soon as he entered the groundnut purchasing business, he came to dominate the field. In fact by 1922 he became the wealthiest businessman in Kano. Umaru Sharubutu and Maikano Agogo were relegated to the second and the third positions respectively.

When the British Bank of West Africa was opened in Kano in 1929, he became the first Kano businessman to utilize a bank account when he deposited twenty camel loads of silver coins. Shortly before his death, he pointed to sixty “groundnut pyramids” in Kano and said, “These are all mine”.

Alhassan became the chief produce buyer especially of groundnuts for the Niger Company (later U.A.C). It is said that he used to purchase about half of all the nuts purchased by U.A.C in northern Nigeria. Because of this, he applied for a license to purchase and export groundnuts in 1940 just like the U.A.C. However, because of the great depression and the war situation, it was not granted. Even Saul Raccah lost his license to export and import about this time because he did not belong to the Association of West African Merchants. In 1953-4 he became a licensed buying agent (L.B.A) that is, a buyer who sells direct to the marketing board instead of to another firm.

However, Alhassan had many business connections both in Nigeria and in other West African countries, particularly the Gold Coast. He dealt, not only in groundnuts, but also in other merchandise. He traded in cattle, kola, cloth, beads, precious stones, grains, rope and other things. His role in the purchase of kola nuts from forest areas of Nigeria for sale in the North was so great, that eventually whole “kola trains” from the Western Region were filled with his nuts alone.

When Alhassan finally settled in Kano, he maintained agents, mainly his relations, in other places. For instance Alhaji Bala, his brother, was sent to Lagos. Alhassan employed people, mainly Igbo, Yoruba and the indigenous Hausa people, as wage earners. They worked as clerks, drivers, and labourers. Some of his employees, especially the Hausas, stayed in his house. He was responsible for their marriage expenses. They did not pay rent and in fact, were regarded as members of his extended family. He sometimes provided official houses to some of his workers.

TEMPERAMENT AND CHARACTER

People’s opinion of Alhassan Dantata differed. To some people, he was a mutumin kirki (complete gentleman) who was highly disciplined and made money through hard work and honesty. He always served as an enemy to, or a breaker of hoarding. For instance, he would purchase items, especially grains, during the harvest time, when it was abundant at low prices. He would wait until the rainy season, (July or August) when there was limited supply in the markets or when grain merchants started to inflate prices.

He then moved to fill the markets with his surplus grains and asked a price lower than the current price in the markets by between 50 – 70%. In this way, he forced down prices. His anti- hoarding activities did not stop at grains and other consumer goods, but even to such items as faifai, igiya, babarma (Mat), dyed cloth, shuni, potash, and so on. However on the other hand, according to information collected in Koki, Dala, Qul-qul, Madabo, Yan Maruci e.t.c, Alhassan was viewed as a mugun mutum (wicked person). This was because some people expressed the view that Dantata undercut their prices simply to cripple his fellow merchants.

BUSINESS INTERESTS

He founded, with other merchants (attajirai), the Kano Citizens’ Trading Company, for industrial undertakings. In 1949, he contributed property valued at ₤10,200 (ten thousand, two hundred pounds) to the proposed Kano citizens trading company for the establishment of the first indigenous textile mill in Northern Nigeria. Near the end of his life he was appointed a director of the Railway Corporation.

In 1917, he started to acquire urban land in the non- European trading site (Syrian quarters) when he acquired two plots at an annual fee of ₤20. All his houses were occupied by his own people; relations, sons, servants, workers and so on. He never built a hotel for whatever purpose in his life and advised his children to do like wise. His numerous large warehouses in and around Kano metropolis were not for rent, rather he kept his own wares in them.

RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMEN

Because of his Islamic beliefs, Alhassan never transacted business with a woman of whatever age. His wife, Hajiya Umma Zaria, (mother of Aminu) was his chief agent among the women folk. The women did not have to visit her house. She established agents all over Kano city and visited them in turn. When she visited her agents, it was the duty of the agents to ask what the women in the ward wanted. Amina Umma Zaria would then leave the items for them. All her agents were old married women and she warned her agents to desist from conducting business with newly wedded girls. Umma Zaria dealt in the smallest household items, which would cost 2.5 d to sophisticated jewels worth thousands of pounds.

WAY OF LIFE, FOOD AND HEALTH

Though Alhassan became the wealthiest man in the British West African colonies, he lived a simple life. He fed on the same foodstuffs as any other individual, such as tuwon dawa da furar gero. He dressed simply in a white gown, a pair of white trousers (da itori), and underwear (yar ciki), a pair of ordinary local sandals, and sewn white cap, white turban and occasionally a malfa (local hat). He was said never to own more than three sets of personal clothing at a time. He never stayed inside his house all day and was always out doing something. He moved about among his workers joking with them, encouraging and occasionally giving a helping hand. He ate his meal outside and always with his senior workers like Garba Maisikeli and Alhaji Mustapha Adakawa.

Alhassan met fully established wealthy Kano merchants when he moved to Kano from the Kauye, like Maikano Agogo, Umaru Sharubutu, Salga and so on. He lived with them peacefully and always respected them. He avoided clashes with other influential people in Kano. He hated court litigation. He was in court only once, but before the final judgment the case was settled outside a Lagos court (it was a ₤10,000 civil suit instituted by one Haruna against him). He lived peacefully with the local authorities. Whenever he offended the authorities he would go quietly to solve the problems with the official concerned.

Alhassan enjoyed good health and was never totally indisposed throughout his active life. However, occasionally he might develop malaria fever and whenever he was sick, he would go to the clinic for treatment. Because of his simple eating habits, ordinary Hausa food two or three times a day and his always active mode of life, he never developed obesity. He remained slim and strong throughout his life. Alhassan had no physical defects and enjoyed good eye sight.

Alhassan was a devout Muslim. He was one of the first northerners to visit Mecca via England by mail boat in the early 1920s. He loved reading the Qur’an and Hadith. He had a personal mosque in his house and established a qur’anic school for his children. He maintained a full time Islamic scholar called Alhaji Abubakar (father of Malam Lawan Kalarawi, a renowned Kano public preacher).

He paid zakkat annually according to Islamic injunction and gave alms to the poor every Friday. He belonged to the Qadiriyya brotherhood.

Soon after the First World War he went on the pilgrimage to Mecca, via Britain, where he was presented to King George V.

EDUCATION INTERESTS

Alhassan Dantata respected people with qur’anic and other branches of Islamic learning, and helped them occasionally. He established a qur’anic school for his children and other people of the neighbourhood. He insisted that all his children must be well educated in the Islamic way. He appreciated also, functional western education, just enough to transact business (some arithmetic, simple accounting, Hausa reading and writing and spoken English).

Alhassan backed the establishment of a western style school in the Dala area for Hausas (i.e. non-Fulani) traders’ children in the 1930’s. The existence of a school in Bebeji (the only non-district headquarters in Kano to have one in the 1930’s) was probably due to his influence, although he could neither read nor write English. Alhassan could write beautiful Ajami, but could not speak or write Arabic, although he could read the Qur’an and other religious books with ease (this is very common in Hausa society). Most of the qur’anic reciter's could read very well, but could not understand Arabic. Alhassan Dantata knew some arithmetic-addition and subtraction and could use a ready reckoner. He also encouraged his children to learn enough western education to transact business, the need of his time. He established his own Arabic and English school in 1944, Dantata Arabic and English school.

POLITICS

He never became a politician in the true sense of the term. However, because of his enormous wealth, he was always very close to the government. He had to be in both the colonial government’s good books and maintain a position very close to the emirs of Kano. He was nominated to represent commoners in the reformed local administration of Kano and in 1950 was made a councillor in the emir’s council- the first non- royal individual to have a seat at the council. Other members of the council then were: Madakin Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa, Walin Kano, Malam Abubakar Tsangaya, Sarkin Shanu, Alhaji Muhammadu Sani, Wazirin Kano Alhaji Abubakar, Makaman Kano Alhaji Bello Alhaji Usman Gwarzo, and the leader Alhaji Abdulllahi Bayero. Alhassan therefore was a member of the highest governing body of Kano in his time. He was also appointed to mediate between NEPU and NPC in Kano in 1954 together with Mallam Nasiru Kabara and other members. He joined no political party, but it is clear that he sympathised with the NPC.

DEATH AND LEGACY

In 1955, Alhassan fell ill and because of the seriousness of the illness, he summoned his chief financial controller, Garba Maisikeli and his children. He told them that his days were approaching their end and advised them to live together. He was particularly concerned about the company he had established (Alhassan Dantata & Sons). He asked them not to allow the company to collapse. He implored them to continue to marry within the family as much as possible. He urged them to avoid clashes with other wealthy Kano merchants. They should take care of their relatives, especially the poor among them. Three days later, he passed away in his sleep on Wednesday, 17th August, 1955 at 78. He was buried the same day in his house in Sarari ward, Kano. At the time of his death in August 1955, he was the wealthiest man of any race in West Africa.

It was and is rare for business organizations to survive the death of their founders in Hausa society. Hausa tradition is full of stories of former successful business families who later lost everything. In Kano city alone names like: Kundila of Makwarari, the wealthiest man at the end of nineteenth century, Maikano Agogo of Koki Ward, Umaru Sharubutu also of Koki Ward, Baban Jaji, Abdu Sarki of Zaitawa Ward, Madugu Indo of Adakawa, and others too numerous to mention here, were some of them.

Only Alhassan of Kano was likely to leave able heirs to continue his business in a grand way. The reason for this was that his heirs were interested in keeping the family name going and the employment of modern methods of book keeping, the only local merchant to do so at that time. Alhassan Dantata’s entire estate was subdivided according to Islamic law among the eighteen children who survived him. Alhassan’s descendants include Dr Aminu Dantata (son), Sanusi Dantata (son), Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata (grandson), Dr Mariya Sanusi Dangote (granddaughter), Alhaji Aliko Dangote (great-grandson), Alhaji Tajudeen Aminu Dantata (great-grandson) and Alhaji Sayyu Dantata (great-great grandson). #HistoryVilleTHE UNFORGETTABLE NIGERIAN: WEALTH, WEALTH EVERYWHERE

Alhaji Alhassan Dantata (1877 - August 17, 1955) was a Nigerian businessman who was the wealthiest man in West Africa at the time of his death.

HERITAGE

BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE

The slave was known as "Tata" from which circumstance young Alhassan became known as Alhassan Dantata because of her role as his ‘mother’ (" Dantata" means "son of Tata”).

CAREER

TEMPERAMENT AND CHARACTER

BUSINESS INTERESTS

RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMEN

WAY OF LIFE, FOOD AND HEALTH

He paid zakkat annually according to Islamic injunction and gave alms to the poor every Friday. He belonged to the Qadiriyya brotherhood.

Soon after the First World War he went on the pilgrimage to Mecca, via Britain, where he was presented to King George V.

EDUCATION INTERESTS

POLITICS

DEATH AND LEGACY

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247newsgh-blog · 5 years ago

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FULL SPEECH: NAM1 officially speaks first time after arrest, return from Dubai

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press. Thank you for coming to this event meant to provide you with the detailed state of our companies especially, what has bedeviled Menzgold for the past twelve months and the way forward. May I state humbly that, this communication is without Prejudice. First of all, let me start by praying the almighty God for grace today and to thank him gratefully as we count our many blessings. Let me also take the opportunity to thank the Government of Ghana; Ambassador of Ghana to the United Arab Emirates; His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, for the consular services extended to me during my eight months detention in Dubai. I thank the Ghana Police Service for the warm reception and the exhibit of professionalism in the discharge of their duty on my arrival to Ghana on the 11th July, 2019. I express my greatest form of immense gratitude to the ruler of Dubai, His Royal Highness Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in his gracious name the Dubai Prosecutions and the Dubai Courts exhibited the highest form of integrity, by boldly upholding the rule of law, handing me justice before the Dubai first instance and superior Courts in the case number 68807/2018, an acquittal and discharge. May Allah, ever merciful, most compassionate bless and prosper Dubai forever. Allah Kareem. I owe an immense debt of gratitude to the people of Ghana, our legal team abroad and in Ghana, led by Mr. Kwame Boafo Akuffo, my brother and my good friend; who has been resolute, exhibited loyalty and courage in the face our adversity, exhibiting his service and commitment to nothing but the law. Today, I cannot forget to bless the over one thousand staff of Menzgold, Zylofon Media, Brew Marketing Consult and all our other companies in Ghana, as well as our families for their unwavering support, since the unfortunate events of the past few months. To you all I say; you made a good choice which would be well rewarded by God almighty, especially Mr. Kwame Boafo, like the biblical Moses, you chose to side and share in the afflicting of God’s people, instead of enjoying the temporary pleasures of sin. Thank you so much. I also reserve my biggest gratitude to our cherished Menzgold customers for their continued support, encouragement, loyalty and prayers through the trying times. Thank you. Even though I am still receiving the much-needed medical attention, swellings-blood clots in my pelvic region and knees with excruciating pains following a past surgical procedure, due to my well-publicized long nine-months detention in Dubai and Ghana. Regardless, I deem it very fit to make this address to the general public, especially to Menzgold customers in a bid to keep them abreast with the on goings. Menzgold Ghana Company Limited is a licensed reputable Ghanaian gold dealership firm, with six years of impeccable and enviable service delivery and gold trading record. It would interest you to know that in five years, Menzgold consistently met the demands of its customers, suppliers and foreign partners who do business with us, but for the force majeure; the regulatory questions raised by the Bank of Ghana and the Securities and Exchange Commission; regulatory intervention of which we respectfully contested and is still before the Ghanaian courts of law. A question of statutory interpretation of; as to whether or not the trading of gold collectibles or jewelry and the return of monthly profits on same to traders is, “Deposits-Taking” or “Deposits Mobilization” Activity or “trade in Securities”. As to whether or not the exports of tons of gold dore bars of very fine percentage purity, with many evidence of inflows in forex via the bank of Ghana is a “Ponzi scheme?”, praying the just and august Ghanaian Courts to make consequential orders to repair Menzgold damage, if any. Ladies and Gentlemen, Menzgold got very successful with its gold dealership business, resulting in the buying of gold, exports and the produce of fine gold collectibles (jewelries) to satisfy the domestic market, an innovative drive in adherence to the government’s campaign for made in Ghana goods. We saw the need to embark on a drive for international expansion in a quest to broaden our market share size, which saw the openings of some international outlets in Madrid, London and Lagos. The famous “shut-down” letter landed our business, staff, customers and shareholders a catastrophic blow, which sadly led to many very horrific occurrences that brought untold economic hardship to our families, our dear customers and the staff body of all our companies, many of whom are customers too due to the reputable nature of our business. To you all who suffered various degrees of upsets, being it directly or indirectly, we share equally in your pain. With God on our side, we shall soon change this sad Menzgold tale to a very happy narrative, as i grasp a resolve now to drive Menzgold from good to great. The Menzgold product line that has been questioned, is one that is just an act of innovation characterized by most businesses worldwide. We sought to build a word processor out of a typewriter in our line of business, with the hope of being encouraged to create wealth in the face of globalization. I noticed that, the 21st century witnesses a blowing wave of globalization, yet Africa has seen limited technological innovative advancements, which stifle our economic growth and lame our progress due to lack of will to invest in the difficult task of creating new things, this turn to make companies in Africa fail in the future, no matter how big a company’s stated capital is or who is in the helm of affairs. With this background juxtaposed with my vision and drive to build a business that would surpass our generation, innovation was the only option. As it turned out with the “cease and desist” directive from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the need arose for us to mobilize Company assets, especially outstanding payments due to our company from several companies and individual buyers in several countries, particularly in the United Arab Emirates to meet the payment obligations owed to Menzgold traders/customers and other business associates. It was in this regard that I embarked on the pursuit of Company assets/debt recovery overseas. In the course of my pursuits, upon my arrival in Dubai on the 7th December, 2017, I was framed by one of the companies; Horizon Royal Diamond, which owes our Company 750kgs of gold, valued at usd$39,000,000 dollars, believing that Menzgold is doomed for closure, due to the unfavorable media reportage and customers protests in Ghana, hence, tabled a bogus claim that they have been defrauded by another Ghanaian Company; Just Gold Company Linited, with frivolous claims of the Just Gold limited having associations with our Company, which is very false. The subsequent action by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to freeze Menzgold and my personal assets further hardened the resolve of some of our debtors who thought Menzgold was a thing of the past. Following my graceful acquittal and discharge in the Dubai Superior Court, the need arose for me to return to Ghana immediately on the call of the Interpol red notice, to answer criminal charges on the same customers debt portfolio before the Ghanaian Court, the very reason why I went to Dubai in the first place. A call that restrained me from laying claim to the funds I went to the UAE to recoup. All companies worldwide have liabilities in its books and so do Menzgold. Business in summary is all about owing and being owed. We at Menzgold are committed and do express our willingness to service our debts portfolios to our customers and business associates as soon as we can with a given opportunity. We respectfully pray the Ghanaian authorities to cooperate with us to achieve the following; 1. To assist us make full recovery of the amount owed Menzgold by Horizon Royal Diamond in Dubai. As an act of good faith, we are willing to engage the Attorney General’s office on the best possible way for the them to aid Menzgold by employing international law and diplomatic relations to ensure we achieve this objective. 2. To unfreeze our Companies and my personal bank accounts and assets for us to utilize these as vehicles to get productive in other to meet our liabilities, owed to our customers and some business associates in our bid to resolve our liabilities immediately. As of now, Brew Marketing Consult, Menzgold and I cannot credit or debit any bank account in Ghana. This is why it is highly imperative to consider this kind request, as I believe, government shares in our resolve and would do all that which is needful in our quest to satisfy the populace, who are our customers. SWAT, Police throng East Legon ahead of NAM1’s meeting with customers 3. To clearly give direction as to which government agent or agency has jurisdiction to regulate the activity of a “gold collectible/jewelry trade” in Ghana, just so we can apply for the necessary certifications in other to proceed with our business in a fair and sound manner. As we have publicly demonstrated, we are open to fair supervision and are opposed to no supervision, misconceived supervision or supervision with malicious intents, respectfully. The founders of PayPal; Elon Musk and co.; set out to create a new internet currency to replace the US Dollar, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg’s first product was designed to only get his classmates signed up, not the earth’s population, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp’s Uber, started only to supplement the taxi fleet in San Francisco, Brian Chesky, Joe and Nathan started Airbnb as a means to rent out an unused space in their abode to get income to supplement a deficit for a pending event, Evan Spiegel, Bobby and Reggie started what came to be known today as SnapChat, as sending naughty disappearing fun photos when they were all student at Stanford University. America’s media called it a “sexting App”, Jeff Bezos started Amazon as a digital bookstore in a garage, was heckled by the big players in the books retailing business, Jack Ma fought through and achieved Alibaba in China and the list goes on. All of these innovative breakthroughs had regulatory questions, suffered bad press. Uber and Airbnb particularly have suffered global protests, Travis Kalanick; founder and first CEO of Uber especially, fought many regulatory and legal battles. Today, these great Innovative Companies are pillars of the great Silicon Valley, receiving global tributes for the United States of America. These are just symptoms of disruptive business ideas. Menzgold is today characterized by same traits and I have no doubt in mind that, our company is on the path to greatness and global prominence. IF these three propositions are reviewed and considered, we shall confidently proceed to make the necessary arrangements to start paying our customers immediately under my watch. This i say with my personal guarantee. While my detention in Dubai was a harrowing, daunting, terrific and horrific experience, I am grateful to God because I feel very refined. It has made me older than my age as we grow in our experiences and not in years. I am fulfilled and ready for greater exploits, highly motivated to add up to our previous gain. I am happy about the disruption, a key trait about a successful business prospect in this information age, is the ability to scale. As Mario Andretti, a champion car racer rightly puts it, “If everything is under control, you’re just not going fast enough”. Zylofon Media is an entertainment media business built upon technical expertise such as creating, composing, storytelling and performance. It’s also built on innovation just like Menzgold, employing technology to develop new breakthroughs in arts, traditional and digital media products. Tomorrow would witness a Zylofon Media that can be described as a multifunctional media in the digital space, which would cater for a wide variety of international interest and needs. It would comfort you to note, that Zylofon Media is not just another media firm; we are a media and Arts technology company. Our competitors are not in Ghana, they are far away in the Silicon Valley, California. To you I say, Ants that unite can beat an elephant. Admittedly, we have made some pretty good losses. We are happy about our loss having been a disruptive art and media business. We wear our loss as a badge of honor. Our loss depicts our grand ambition. By natural law, you have to go through a thunder storm to see the rainbow. Our eyes are still set on the colorful rainbow. We shall succeed. Brew Marketing Consult Co. limited is a marketing company. A Commodity broker of a sort, which works for commissions by matching selling and buying leads. I encourage Companies worldwide with marketing needs in Ghana and Africa to take advantage of Brew Marketing’s great professional marketing prowess, as the company did for Menzgold, resulting in Menzgold’s mighty growth. To the staff body of all our companies, I couldn't have been more proud of you for standing resolute in the face of adversity. I encourage you to continue to stand strong as we navigate the path of soon meeting up to the demands of our cherished customers. To our Menzgold customers, we note that you have experienced an increased level of anxiety and concern, but have been extremely understanding and patient with us through these trying times. We continue to recognize and respect your sacrifice, please remember that your patience and support for us is not an entitlement, but something we earned by the way we worked with you diligently over the past years. I can assure you that, it would pay off favorably soon. Together, we are very conscious of our responsibilities towards you our cherished esteemed customers and we will do everything we can to individually and collectively meet your expectations. To the government of Ghana, we applaud you for not “sparing the rod and spoiling the child”, we��ve got your message, we’ve grown and are ready to accept and take up responsibility, if any. I want to reiterate, that I do not seek political office or power, My goal towards contributing for the good of Ghana and Africa, is missionary and not mercenary. Clearly, my willingness to be misunderstood is the basis of our many criticisms and the exercise of brute force and skewed media reportage witnessed against our outfits in the last twelve months. I am an entrepreneur and remains as such. Last but not the least, to the many Ghanaian and African youth, as well as the aged who believes in me and the Nam Mission. We shall continue to contribute to those in authority, for creation of the new Ghana and the new Africa for the new Ghanaian and the new African, in the new African socio-economic front. I am well aware, that many of you crave African posterity, to you all I ask; The Egyptian who conceived the idea of the pyramid and actually built it, had same natural abilities we have with less access to information than we do today, yet succeeded. Which African would build the next “Egypthian pyramid”? Ghana Shall Prosper, Africa would be great again. Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for coming. Read the full article

#FULLSPEECH:NAM1officiallyspeaksfirsttimeafterarrest #returnfromDubai

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mncgroupus-blog · 7 years ago

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M&C Group Logistics & Trading are licensed, Gold suppliers and buyers by their parent company in Accra Ghana. They have the resources and a network of international commodity suppliers to import/export products. They can offer flexibility to the clients in terms and conditions of payment.

#Gold Supplier #Gold Roll Programs #Buy Gold at a Discount #Property Sales

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omcik-blog · 7 years ago

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New Post has been published on OmCik

New Post has been published on http://omcik.com/how-fair-is-our-food-big-companies-take-reins-on-sourcing-schemes/

How fair is our food? Big companies take reins on sourcing schemes

LONDON (Reuters) – From cocoa to tea, food and drink giants are setting their own standards for ethical sourcing of raw materials, moving away from third-party labels such as Fairtrade.

Mondelez International (MDLZ.O), owner of chocolate brands Cadbury and Toblerone, Unilever (ULVR.L), behind tea brands such as Lipton and PG Tips, and Barry Callebaut, the world’s biggest producer of chocolate and cocoa products, have all introduced their own schemes.

They say their targets are more comprehensive and some claim their schemes are more effective in tracking whether a product is ethically sourced every step of the way. With companies under financial pressure, analysts say it has also been a way to save money.

But critics are worried that the standards that third-party groups such as UTZ Certified or Rainforest Alliance have fought to establish risk being muddled and what is deemed ethical and sustainable could become more ambiguous.

“Standards measuring environmental and social issues need to be transparent because, once this process happens behind closed doors, it is difficult to see how companies and farms apply them,” said Sloane Hamilton, labor rights policy advisor at Oxfam, a charity focused on alleviating poverty.

“We don’t want to see standards watered down, and neither do we want customers to be faced by a bewildering proliferation of different certification schemes.”

Third-party certifiers are not opposed to all self-certification, even though the loss of fees could threaten their future. Rather, they are worried standards could become meaningless if too many companies set their own criteria.

Mondelez started selling the first Green & Black’s chocolate in the UK without a Fairtrade logo in August, more than 23 years after the brand’s Maya Gold bar received Britain’s first mark.

The bar instead carries the stamp of “Cocoa Life”, a Mondelez scheme started in 2012 with broad goals including improved productivity, protection of fertile land and gender equality in farming communities.

Mondelez says Fairtrade is still an “implementing partner” and the group’s auditing arm is used to vet cocoa sourced through “Cocoa Life”.

Fairtrade, a non profit, aims to push for a better deal for farmers and workers in developing nations. It sets standards, including a minimum price for raw materials, and requires companies to contribute toward businesses or community projects, in exchange for the Fairtrade stamp.

But as the concept of ethically-sourced ingredients has become better understood by consumers, brands have started adopting standards that work for their business and image.

“It’s opened the door for companies to say ‘well let’s develop a standard that suits our business and also has the impact that we want to have on the ground,” said Alan Rownan, ethical labels analyst at Euromonitor.

Crafting in-house standards has also become a way to trim costs for big companies under financial pressure as economic growth slows and consumers opt for healthier snacks or smaller, more artisan brands.

“When the whole market is certified, the ability to have a higher price for it becomes less,” said Jon Cox, analyst at Kepler Cheuvreux in Zurich, who follows companies such as Nestle and Barry Callebaut.

“So why not bring it in-house anyway and save money? And if they can convince consumers that it’s as good as some of the independents, if not better, then that maybe helps them as well.”

DEEPER INVOLVEMENT

While third-party labels have had a leading role in the drive to stamp out practices such as deforestation and child labor on farms, they have also faced criticism.

Think-tanks and industry groups say the way they enforce standards is not transparent enough and they have failed to align their programmes to reduce complexity. Rainforest Alliance and UTZ Certified are now expected to streamline their standards after recently announcing plans to merge.

With consumer awareness growing, companies are also seeking to track more closely the sourcing of their ingredients and show the impact of certification to their consumers.

Fairtrade ensures that the sourcing of raw materials including coffee and bananas can be traced at every step of farming and processing but it does not provide the same guarantee for cocoa and tea.

Green and Black’s chocolate bars are seen in a photo illustration in London, Britain August 24, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall

It says certified cocoa beans are difficult to track as they can get mixed with conventional beans at the processing stage in countries that do not have the capacity to keep them separate.

This means a Fairtrade chocolate bar may be made with certified and conventional cocoa, with the label only guaranteeing that the company buys a percentage of Fairtrade beans and that any premium paid goes to farmers certified by the organization.

Some food and drinks companies say, as part of their move to new standards, they are taking a more active role in sourcing to show consumers a clearer link.

For example, Barry Callebaut built a dedicated ethically-sourced cocoa butter tank in a factory in Belgium and it has launched a mobile app aimed at improving traceability on farms in the Ivory Coast.

Mondelez does not track cocoa through the entire supply chain, but it says Cocoa Life has allowed for a deeper involvement with farmers. The company uses digital mapping in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Indonesia to boost transparency and traceability from farm to processing facility.

“When you’re simply a buyer of raw materials, then in a typical supply chain, you’re not involved directly on the ground,” said Jonathan Horrell, global director of sustainability for Mondelez.

Some companies have also set deadlines for eliminating unsustainable practices from their supply chain and, as they approach, the pressure to find solutions has intensified.

Green and Black’s chocolate bars are seen in a photo illustration in London, Britain August 24, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall

Unilever has promised to source 100 percent of its materials sustainably by 2020 using both certification and its own “Unilever Sustainable Agriculture Code.”

Barry Callebaut is also aiming to source 100 percent of its ingredients sustainably by 2025, up from 23 percent in 2015. It buys cocoa through external schemes and its own “Cocoa Horizons” program.

“They’re under pressure to reach these (goals),” Rownan said. “And it’s not always easy to reach 100 percent targets following these mainstream, rigid certifications.”

SAVVY CONSUMERS

While critics of self-certification worry about muddling standards, consumers are growing savvier. The companies say they risk a fierce backlash if they try to loosen the rules.

“If you connect your name to it…then you want to make sure what you’re putting out there is absolutely credible,” said Christiaan Prins, head of external affairs for Barry Callebaut. “The consumer nowadays can no longer be tricked in any sense.”

Sainsbury’s (SBRY.L) angered consumers and watchdogs in June when it replaced the Fairtrade mark on its own-brand tea with its pilot “Fairly Traded” version, with an eye to possibly extending it to other products such as coffee and bananas.

Under “Fairly Traded”, farmers will get “above and beyond” what they were receiving from Fairtrade and it should help make them more resilient to climate change, said Sainsbury’s head of media relations David Nieberg.

But critics say the scheme takes control away from farmer organizations, who will no longer directly receive a premium for their tea. The premium will be managed by the Sainsbury’s Foundation and will be used to fund farmers’ strategic projects.

Sainsbury’s will not pay licensing fees to Fairtrade but will continue to buy tea from farmers certified by the group. It will also purchase from farmers vetted by other groups if it decides they meet its in-house rules for ethical sourcing, Nieberg said.

Consumer scrutiny is likely to be even greater toward companies using self-made schemes to meet ambitious targets for “sustainable” sourcing – a label that is already ambiguous because it has many standards and meanings.

“When companies move away from certifiers and all of a sudden are able to far more easily achieve their sustainability goals – well what’s changed?” said Rownan. “I think consumers will want to know.”

With questions about their future, third-party certifiers are trying to adapt to the potential dent to licensing fees, which made up 11 million euros ($13.04 million) or 63 percent of Fairtrade International’s income in 2015.

“We’re trying to show them the stories behind the investment,” said Dario Soto Abril, chief executive officer at Fairtrade International. “We’re making a big effort to listen to companies and adapt and innovate within our model.”

Fairtrade also hopes to expand through new partnerships with groups such as Lidl and Aldi, said Abril. Fairtrade’s auditing arm, FLOCERT, also launched an online platform called Fairtrace, to make it easier to track products through the supply chain.

additional reporting by Martinne Geller; editing by Anna Willard

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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