E X C L U S I V E
MEN’S ISSUE #006 2014
MAGAZINE
A relationship & girlfriend or the single life with a career
5
REINVENT YOURSELF IN
EASY STEPS
EMM ASKS
Up Close With
ARE BALD MEN MORE SEXIER?
~ with pictures ~
IS AFRICA BECOMING THE NEW TERRORISM HUB?
Legends & Legacy Ball INFLUX OF MICROFINANCE COMPANIES IN GHANA, A sign of economic growth?
GH¢ 20 | $5
Meet LEXIS BILL
W W W . E M M G H A N A . C O M
+SANTANA ABEIKU
The New Host of Drive Time on Joy 99.7fm
‘ThewithUntold Story’ exclusive pictures
G H A NA’ S P R E M I E R M E N ’ S L I F E S T Y L E & BU S I N E S S M AG A Z I N E
SO ALIVE, IT READS THE ROAD. FROM GHS 211,864 Tax free Savour the thrill of dynamic handling while maximising comfort at all times – your XF’s Adaptive Dynamics system monitors and analyses speed, steering and body movement 500 times a second, adjusting the car’s suspension to suit your driving style, the conditions and the road surface. As your pace changes, the steering optimises the level of power assistance to provide the perfect balance between control and responsiveness, bringing XF to life in your hands.
Book a test drive today. JAGUARAFRICA.COM
Terms and Conditions apply. All prices are subject to change according to the current exchange rate. Price of vehicles advertised is tax free.
Fuel consumption in 1/100km. urban 6.6. extra urban 4.8. combined 5.4; CO2 emissions 149g/km.
ALLIANCE MOTORS GHANA Ltd. Showroom Ring Road West, Near Obetsebi Lamptey Circle, South Industrial Area, Accra, P.O Box 17812 (In between Royal House Chapel and SIC Insurance) Tel: +233 266640099 Email: sales@alliancemotorsgh.com
Service: 39-40 Adjumah Crescent, South Industrial Area, Accra, P.O Box 17812 (Near STC Yard, behind Zenith Bank) Tel: +233 307038319 Email: service@alliancemotorsgh.com
Join us on
or visit jaguarafrica.com
L A RI O E IT OT ED N
A
t Exclusive Men’s Magazine, we celebrate individuals and organizations who; Have distinguished themselves in their fields of work, Are positive role models to the youth of Ghana and Africa, Are making a positive impact on humanity and society and are selling the brand ‘Ghana’ to the outside world. To God be the Glory. E.M.M 5 dubbed the ‘Emperor’s Edition’ which featured Ghana’s MC/Presenter extraordinaire Mr. Kwabena Anokye Adisi (Bola Ray) has been our most successful issue to date. With over 4000+ copies in circulation and clients demanding for more, we can only thank God as well as Bola Ray for making it happen. Covering E.M.M 6 is a man who has seen and been through it all .Coming from a very humble beginning; he’s gone through life’s journey of struggles and successes and now stands tall amongst his peers. He is a hugely successful Entrepreneur, Businessman, Philanthropist, Media Mogul/Consultant, Communications Strategist and M.C/Presenter/Extraordinaire. His passion for radio and humanity to many is undisputed. He is a Scholar, holding amongst many enviable others; A Doctorate degree in Humanities (D.Hon) from the worldacclaimed Pan African Bible Seminary .With exclusive behind the scene pictures, we present to you the UNTOLD STORY of Dr Gilbert Abeiku Santana Aggrey.
CLEMENT OWUSU-KWAKYE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
We also caught up with the smooth talking Kwame Sakyiamah aka Lexis Bill of JOY 99.7 FM and had a chat with Ghana’s Number 1 celebrity blogger and publicist Ameyaw Debrah on life as an ardent blogger and spent some time with the founder of A-Place.org, Mr. Jewette L. Johnson before his untimely death in New York in April, 2014. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Featured are articles on Style, Relationships, Business and Finance, Property and Insurance, Health, Automobile, Technology, Sports, Women and a lot more. By readers’ request, we have introduced two new segments: Fatherhood and Foreign News. A great content awaits your reading pleasure. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram @ Exclusive Men’s Magazine. An EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE COCKTAIL EVENT dubbed ‘Celebrating Responsible Fatherhood’ comes off this year. See Press for details and on our social media platforms. For Subscription and advert placement, please email usexclusivemensmagazine@yahoo.com E.M.M- TILL WE BECOME LEGENDS
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
03
DEDICATION TO THE LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE
MR. JEWETTE LYNIUS JOHNSON FOUNDER OF A-PLACE.ORG
‘YOUR STAR WILL FOREVER SHINE IN OUR HEARTS’ 04
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
CONTENTS ISSUE #006
COVER
014
Catch a glimpse of Abeiku Santana in an exclusive interview.
BUSINESS & FINANCE
052
Mr. Theodore K. Bright shares his view on Savings and Loan Companies in Ghana.
STYLE
026
Meet Abrantie; New style on the block.
RELATIONSHIPS
032
Dealing with your girlfriend and her Ex.
SHOWBIZ
035
Up close with Lexis Bill, Ameyaw Debrah, Akwaboah and LAL Ball,
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
05
CONTENTS ISSUE #006
AUTOMOBILE
056
WOMEN’S WORLD
076 PROPERTY & INSURANCE
060
Get to know the best time to invest.
TECHNOLOGY, GAMES & GADGETS
064
A dark side of technology exposed.
HEALTH, NUTRITION & FITNESS
070 06
Best male home exercise routines exposed.
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
A look into the dark side of cosmetic surgery.
Preview of the New Mitsubishi Outlander.
E X C L U S I V E
MEN’S MAGAZINE EDITORIAL Editor-In-Chief
Clement OWUSU-KWAYE
Business Development James Tassy
Marketing
Auburd McBrown Zion Benjamin
Interviews
Osafo ANTHONY
Contributors
Dr Essel Cobbah Lexis Bill Ameyaw Debrah Samuel A. Baah (Flex) Paul Boakye
Photography James Okyere
Design & Layout Frank Adjei Otu
Published Quarterly by:
CLEMOK SOLUTIONS Asylum Down, Accra Tel: 0302 900 660 / 0268 607 555 Email: info@emmghana.com Website: www.emmghana.com WE ARE SOCIAL @ Exclusive Men’s Magazine
THE CONTENT OF THIS PUBLICATION ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER AND/OR LICENSE HOLDER. THE PUBLISHER DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ADVERTISING CONTENTS CARRIED IN THIS PUBLICATION.
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
07
CONTENTS ISSUE #006
CURRENT AFFAIRS
068
Is Africa becoming the new terrorism hub?
SPORTS
086
Joshua Clottey V Saul Alvarez in December?
MANSwers
078
Are bald men more sexier?
FATHERHOOD
083
Find out the top 6 tips for single parenthood.
INSPIRATIONAL
088
Get inspired and motivated.
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
09
VE R CO
10
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
ABEIKU
SANTANA ‘The Untold Story’
T
his mind. His broadcasting experience goes as far as the Volta Lake. His influential tendencies have seen him work as a judge on numerous reality shows and MC various platforms such as the Ghana Music Awards, Ghana’s Most Beautiful 2013 & BASS Awards.
he multi talented radio & TV presenter who can also pass as an actor has over the years rained his prolific voice on our stereos. Dr. Abeiku Santana as he has come to be known is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to media practitioners in Ghana. Adom fm, Joy fm, Okay fm among other top-notch radio stations has seen Dr. Aggrey exhibit his skills as a radio presenter. Currently his ‘EKWANSO DWOODWOO’ prime time radio show on Okay 101.7 FM takes listeners through various up to date issues accompanied by his spiritual ‘ranting’s’. Gifted with verbal prowess, Abeiku Santana connects with his listeners in such a phenomenal way that keeps his ‘audience’ glued to the radio. His voice has been on radio for so long that one could only conclude Santana eats, drinks and sleeps with radio on
‘My name is RADIO’ which heads his twitter timeline evidently shows the undying love he has developed over the years for his profession and with 46.3K followers it tells us how popular his works has made him on social media. Aside been known as a radio presenter he has achieved B.A in Criminal Law, awarded to him at Rochville University (USA) is just one of the numerous accolades entitled to his name when it comes to his educational background. Global leadership training , USA conferred on him Excellence in media leadership for his exceptional accomplishment as a Broadcast Journalist and a Radio Presenter par excellence in the presence of H.L. Justice Mrs Georgina T. Wood, Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana at the 7th more than conquerors West Africa leadership conference held in Accra. His contribution towards the development of the youth in Saltpond his hometown, earned him an award from the Nkusukum Traditional Council. He describes himself as a Chief
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
11
Encouragement Officer (C.E.O) Abeiku Santana Holds a Post graduate Diploma in Public Administration from GIMPA. Inducted into the Chartered institute of Marketing Ghana since 2008. Holds an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Pan African Bible Seminar. Funny, crazy, emotional, hard are some of the words that describes Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey and his desire to achieve nothing but the best spells out on his Facebook page which reads ‘Never satisfied with normal results’. You can follow him on twitter @ AbeikuSantana. Exclusive Men’s Magazine presents ‘THE UNTOLD STORY’ of Dr. Gilbert Abeiku Santana Aggrey.
Life on radio EMM: SO ARE WE SEATED BEFORE THE EVER POPULAR ABEIKU SANTANA FORMERLY OF ADOM 106.3 FM’S ‘OFIE KWANSO?’ Abeiku: (Laughs) Yeah! That’s Abeiku Santana formerly with Adom 106.3 fm, ‘Ofie Kwnaso’ but now ‘Ekwanso dwo dwo’ on OK fm. EMM: LEAVING ADOM FOR OK; HOW WAS THE DECISION LIKE? Abeiku: It was not a decision. It was a call from God. EMM: CALL? FROM GOD? HOW PERPLEXING IT SOUNDS. TELL US THE FULL STORY. Abeiku: It started in 2009. I was once meditating and the call came to me that I have reached a point of saturation at Adom fm. God asked me to move on. It wasn’t clear at the time so in November that same year, I took a vacation to UK – Louton, to live in solitude concerning the voice. Then in the UK, the voice came clearer, ‘move from Adom fm.’ Two times the voice came loudly! Move from Adom fm! It came consistently and persistently for a period of 6 months. I still ignored it till one day I was praying and it came again that ‘this is the last time to move from Adom.’ EMM: WERE YOU NOT HALLUCINATING OR SUFFERING FROM SOME YELLOW FEVER? Abeiku: (laughs) Not at all! When God speaks to me, I hear and I know he is the one. But I asked myself how I will survive should I leave Adom because I had no huge investment. One day whiles I was in my car driving, the voice
12
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
came to me, ‘go to Peace fm!’ The following day, I called Fadda Dickson of Peace fm and told him I want to see him. He asked what is was and I told him its business. I own an advertising agency that is into media buying for companies so Fadda thought I was talking about that so he asked me to call and talk to one of their officers – Mawusi. I told him it’s not about media buying for my client but something I need to sit and discuss with him. We later met at Fiesta Royals and I told Fadda that I was meditating and God told me to join the Despite Group of companies. Fadda burst into laughter. (Of course EMM crew burst into laughter) EMM: YOU SAID SO? Abeiku: Yes! So Fadda told me he is not the owner of business so he will discuss it with his boss – Kwame Despite. Two days later, Father called me and told me Despite wants to meet me. I met Despite and he was like “you koraa..are you not the one who once came to walk here in 2003 wanting to work with us…. but you lied to us. You never came.” He continued to say that I’m like the root of Adom fm and also my boss – Kwasi Twum, likes me so much, besides, Peace fm is chocked so he can’t absorb me. I told him God is telling me to leave Adom fm and join him. After silence for a while, he revealed he was bringing a new radio station so if I want……: at that material moment it dropped in my spirit ‘that is what I’m talking about!’ I said yes sir! I want it! To his dismay! That new station is OK fm. Then, they had just started test transmission. Lots of people had not heard about the station. Management had not started or thought of recruiting presenters at all! I was the first presenter to have been employed at OK fm. EMM: SO THE ROAD WAS THEN CLEAR FOR YOU TO ‘BETRAY’ ADOM…. Abeiku: 3ny3 easy oo! So from there I had to resign from Adom but I had a very good relationship with my boss, Kwasi Twum, so there was no way I could have looked into his eye balls and say “Boss I’m leaving.” I took my annual leave, it was approved and after 2 weeks I was still in Ghana which is highly unusual of me. So those who were suspicious became suspicious. EMM: SO WHO WAS THE FIRST
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
13
When God speaks to me, I hear and I know he is the one.
PERSON YOU TOLD OR DISCUSSED YOUR RESIGNATION WITH? Abeiku: Late Fennec Okyere – award winning musician Kwaw Kesse’s manager. He was my ‘god’ friend. We were very close. Very close! He was my personal assistant. He took charge of what I eat, drink, wear, etc! I typed my resignation letter, saved it on my pen drive, got to the airport, begged a friend of mine who had an office there, printed two copies – one for Graphic Showbiz writer, Francis Doku, and the other to Multimedia, and signed it. I sealed each in an envelope and gave them to Fennec and strongly asked him to serve Graphic Showbiz first before Multimedia and then I board…. EMM: PAUSE THERE. WHY DID YOU SERVE A MEDIA HOUSE FIRST INSTEAD OF YOUR EMPLOYER?
14
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
Abeiku: Because I wanted the news to be out first. So like I was saying, I board the flight and left for China. Except Fennec and my younger brother, Kelvin, nobody knew where I was off to. For 18 to 19 hours I was out of the country. According to Fennec, he served Graphic Showbiz and followed it up at Multimedia. By the time Fennec entered the office of the CEO of Multimedia, Kwasi Twum, Graphic was on the phone with the man, telling him they have received a copy of a resignation letter signed by Abeiku Santana so they are calling for confirmation or otherwise. He asked Fennec what he can do for him only for Fennec to stretch forth his hand with the resignation letter to Multimedia to Kwasi Twum. Mr. Twum took it, opened it, read it and you can image…...
ISSUE #006 | 2014
EMM: JUDAS HAD BETRAYED JESUS! Abeiku: Hmm! There was no means to contact me, as in phone call. I received tones of emails but I did not respond to any! I came back to Ghana in October, 2010. After 3 days, I called Fadda Dickson and told him that I meant what I told him; I’ve resigned from Adom fm! I asked Fennec Okyere to do the negotiation on my behalf because at that time, he had become like my unofficial manager. Fennec did the negotiation on how much I’m to be paid as well as other benefits. I was there one day and he brought me my cheque. I knew he will hit a jackpot for me and he did! I’m a Wednesday born. One Wednesday morning, the date was 20/10/2010; I called Fadda Dickson and told him that I want to start work. He was like ‘but we have not sat to design the programme,’ I told him he has no
me I’ve taken a wrong decision. My parents, friends, politicians, chiefs, pastors – they all said I’ve taken a wrong decision and that I’ve come to the end of my career! There were top pastors who emailed me 5-18 pages messages, linking me to the Biblical story of Joseph, Joseph served blab blab blab bla….I said my God has spoken! I don’t know where you are coming from! I still have all those emails in my inbox. EMM: FROM YOUR OWN ASSESSMENT, WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKE PEOPLE LOVE YOU ON RADIO? Abeiku: I think you should rather ask the people this question (giggles). Well, I think I speak to the needs, expectations and the concerns of the people. I am a ‘people-person.’ I don’t talk about anything that is abstract. I’m a realist. I talk about what is happening and what people would want to hear. I talk about relative issues that are pertaining on the ground. Whatever I say relates to the people. For instance, if the traffic light at Malam junction is not working, I would decide to talk about that and not an issue about the world cup. Also, I always put myself into the shoes of others and talk about it. Peoples issues are my issues, so when I talk about them, the people identify with me.
problem. I entered the studio with my Bible, had a short prayer and the rest is history. EMM: SOME POPULAR BROADCASTERS WERE POACHED TO NEWLY ESTABLISHED STATIONS AND THAT KILLED THEIR POPULARITY BUT YOU ARE STILL RELEVANT AND GREEN. WHAT IS THE SECRET? Abeiku: First it’s God and secondly I learn a lot. I am everything in one. I have a bit of everything (sports, politics, entertainment, religion, etc) You will remember in the past we had a political host, sports host, gospel host, ….now it’s changing. No coach would want to hire only a defender but a defender who can also come to the midfield, hold the ball and even strike! So that is the secret. Let me also share this with you. When I left Adom, 99% of my friends told
EMM: EMM’S RESEARCH POINT TO THE FACT THAT YOU ACTUALLY STARTED USING WORSHIP SONGS ON DRIVE TIME RADIO IN THE CAPITAL CITY - ACCRA. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY? Abeiku: Yes. I’m the first radio presenter to play gospel songs on air first, for drive time. When I moved from Kumasi (2001) to Accra, the then hot drive time radio presenters were - Mickie Osei Berkoe of Radio Gold, Bola Ray at Top Radio, Gabby Adjettey of Joy 99.7 fm and Fiifi Banson of Peace 104.3 fm. As you will agree with me, all these presenters were or are not gospel song players or presenters on drive time radio. At that time, you won’t hear gospel on prime time radio. You will only hear gospel songs at dawn and evening. Gospel was the preserve of the pastors who played on radio. So for the records, I’m the first radio presenter to open the flood gate of playing gospel music on drive time radio. EMM: GROWING UP, WHAT PROFESSION WAS ON YOUR MIND? Abeiku: A medical doctor. My dad
was a Communicable Disease Control Officer so I had wanted to follow his foot prints. I’m a science biased person. I still love the medical field though. I read lots of medical journals every short while. EMM: WHAT PREPARED YOU FOR OR INTO RADIO? Abeiku: A lot of factors. First, as a boy, I used to listen to radio a lot. I was always by my father listening to radio. So I fell in love with radio. We lived in Asylum down just behind then Vibe FM. Since I loved radio, I wanted to see how a radio studio looked like. So a friend, Nana Kofi Arthur, once took me to Joy FM, the year 1996-1997, and one of their technicians – Sam Bannerman, took me to the studio and showed me how things worked; though it was not allowed. I used to carry Sam Bannerman’s CD bag anytime I saw him leaving the studio. The staff used to send me so I also used the opportunity to socialize with media people. I later built acquaintance with media guys like; Cox Tamakloe, Kwame Faakye, Vladimir, Jazz Bossman, Tish Powers, KSM, Odifo, Okyeame Ayenso Badwenba, Okraku Mantey, Black Santino, Michael Cook, and others. And finally, naturally I’m an orator, I love to talk, in fact, I’m a talkative, interesting, funny, outgoing, outspoken…I think all these prepared me for radio. EMM: HOW DID YOU GET INTO RADIO? Abeiku: In 1996, after my Sixth Form’s national service at National Archives, I got admission from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology KNUST to study Publishing. I attended the first semester but realized I was not finding it interesting because of my love for radio. My heart was not in it so I deferred and started looking for other opportunities. I came back to Accra and heard there is a new radio station in Koforidua. Since I was born in Koforidua and that is where my parents lived, I went there to see if I could get a job at the station. The station was Radio Z, now Eastern FM. I went to the station and luckily for me, I happened to be the only person or prospective applicant who had knowledge about radio due to my friendship with some broadcasters I told you earlier. At least I had once been to the studios of a radio station before – Joy FM and Vibe FM. The other applicants were Koforidua guys who had had no stint with radio because then, there was no radio
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
15
station in Koforidua so I had a better leverage over them. So after calling one or two people to the studio, the manager got to me and asked me to enter the studio. I entered the studio, sat before the console and he asked me to do my own thing. I started talking. That was my first time of speaking on radio airwaves - 1998. So Radio Z is the first radio station I worked with or my voice, first heard on radio. I always hold fond memories of that experience. EMM: DID YOU FUMBLE, SWEAT, STUTTER, OR QUIVER? Abeiku: I must say I sounded very confident in my delivery but was very nervous deep down me. Nobody saw that though. I alone knew what was going on deep down me. So the confidence and zeal with which I delivered, the Programmes Manager was impressed and asked the others to go home. I hosted a number of shows until management of the station finally saw that they were ‘wasting’ me. They made me the substantive morning show. I gradually rose through the ranks and became the Station Manager. In 1999, according to the then Proprietor of Radio Mercury in Kumasi late Nana Kwabena Poku, he was on his way from Accra to Kumasi and happened to flip his dial and stumbled upon Radio Z’s frequency and paused to listen to me. He said he told himself “this guy is good. I need him.” So he called my technicians, left his number and asked them to give him a call. I called him later and he told me he wants me to work for him at Radio Mercury in Kumasi. I accepted and left for Kumasi. Within 8 months, I had become a household name in Kumasi. I was a hot cake! Other stations like Capital Radio, Otec FM, Fox FM, and others. After 9 months at Radio Mercury, I moved to Ash FM to 2001 and later, joined Adom FM. EMM: DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST SALARY AS A RADIO PRESENTER? Abeiku: (Ponders for a while) Yes! It was 12 cedis, now GHC 1.20. (All burst into laughter) EMM: WE GATHER YOU WERE ACTUALLY NAMED AFTER A BROADCASTER. IS THAT THE CASE? Abeiku: That is true. My father named me after the late broadcaster, Gilbert Ankrah. I never knew till I got into radio. Before broadcasters
16
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
like Charlie Sam and Tommy AnnanForson, Gilbert Ankrah was one of the finest broadcasters at GBC. I recalled listening to him as a boy; so becoming a broadcaster, I don’t know if I should say it’s by divine or default. EMM: SOME BROADCASTING CRITICS POSIT THAT YOU ‘SHOUT’ ON RADIO. HAVE YOU HEARD THAT BEFORE? Abeiku: Yes I have; but I don’t shout. I’ve never lost my voice on radio but I’m on radio every day. It tells you I don’t shout. I wouldn’t rather say I’m loud. I’m loud because I have to arrest your attention. For the time I’m on air, I deal with people who are working and unwinding their job. I need to arrest their attention! I’m a marketing communicator. I grab people’s attention so that I can impose or send a message to them. We call it ‘attention-catcher.’ It’s a strategy. EMM: WHAT ONE THING HAVE YOU EVER SAID ON RADIO THAT YOU LATER REGRETTED? Abeiku: (Ponders for a while) some profane words. I realized later on. It was a joke actually. Should I share it (laughs)? I think lets drop it. It’s not appropriate for print. EMM: ARE YOU SOMETIMES BORED OF BEING ON RADIO? Abeiku: Me Abeiku Santana Aggrey (laughs)? I have never been bored or tired of radio. There has never been any day where I felt like today I don’t feel like going to work or tired of radio so let me quit and do another thing in life, no! No! No! It has never occurred to me. I can decide to run the show till anytime provided the airtime will be given to me. EMM: WHO ARE YOUR RADIO AUDIENCE? Abeiku: The masses – market women, hawkers on the street, the head porters, taxi drivers, spare parts dealers, etc. because I am their voice. I speak to their needs and concerns as I said earlier. I identify with them and they identify with me too. And of course the middle class are my audience too. EMM: WOULD YOU EVER WORK WITH AN ENGLISH SPEAKING RADIO STATION? Abeiku: That will be a very difficult decision because I will lose touch with my fan base (the masses) who follows me. Even if I will do that, maybe in my
ISSUE #006 | 2014
grown up age or 20 to 30 years time to come when I’ve retired and become a media consultant like Mike Hagan, I may consider that. For now, no, no, no! EMM: HAVE YOU TAKEN PAYOLA (PRESENTER TAKING MONEY BEFORE PLAYING A MUSICIAN’S SONG) BEFORE? Abeiku: Oh yeah (laughs out loud)! I have! Asking this question is like asking a police officer or an MTTU officer if he has ever taken bribe before! I have taken payola aa! I think my first payola came from musician Elder Mireku (the whole crew burst into awful laughter). But with his, I will not call it payola, it was a Pentecostal handshake (All burst into laughter). But these days I’m matured so I don’t. Then I used to. Now even if you (musician) give me something, I will ask you to give it to my DJs. EMM: DOES RADIO JOB PAY? Abeiku: It does. I owe everything I have - fame, popularity, wealth, name it, all to radio! Once you position yourself well, trust me, radio pays; not to talk of the favours that comes with it. EMM: YOU HAVE GOTTEN TO YOUR PEAK IN RADIO BROADCASTING. DO YOU AGREE? Abeiku: I don’t agree at all! As far as I am concerned, I’ve just started. EMM: WHAT NEW THING SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM YOU IN RADIO BROADCASTING? Abeiku: I want to set a new bench mark in Ghanaian radio. I want to start competing with television. I will get the whole city to get locked down on my programme instead of watch television. As to how I will do that, keep your fingers crossed for it.
Life in politics EMM: IS ABEIKU SANTANA A POLITICIAN? Abeiku: I’m not a politician (giggles). I know where you want to go…. (Crew laughs). EMM: THEN LET’S GO THERE. WHY DID YOU CAMPAIGN FOR THEN CANDIDATE JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA IN THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL POLL? Abeiku: First let me give you a background history of Mr. Mahama and myself. Mr. Mahama has been my friend for the past 14 years. I knew him way back when he was the Deputy
Peoples issues are my issues, so when I talk about them, the people identify with me.
Minister for Communication during the J. J. Rawlings NDC regime. I started doing some PR works for his firm called Mahama and Associates. EMM: ARE YOU A REGISTERED GOOD STANDING CARD BEARING MEMBER OF THE NDC PARTY? Abeiku: (laughs) You want to know? Well, I will give you homework. Get in touch with the NDC head office and do your inquiry there. That is all I can say for an answer. EMM: WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THOSE WHO POSIT THAT BROADCASTERS, IN GHANA TO BE PRECISE, SHOULD NOT MAKE THEIR POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS PUBLIC ON RADIO OR TELEVISION? Abeiku: It’s wrong! Our democratization process since 1992 is still evolving. First, you will not hear a man of God talking about politics but today it’s happening. In Ghana there are newspapers that
belongs to political parties, what about that? There are radio stations that belongs to a politician or a political party, what about that? Don’t we know about this? We are simply being hypocrites! Look, it’s like fashion, when it evolves, our older folks criticize it and say ‘look at what the children are wearing but now, the old folks dresses like us. Culture as we say is dynamic so as politics . For those who are critiquing broadcasters or journalists who make their political affiliations public, it’s a matter of time. They will find themselves doing it. You wait! They will follow suit someday and that will even strengthen our democratization process! EMM: YOU HAPPEN TO BE THE FIRST GHANAIAN RADIO PRESENTER TO HAVE UNACCEPTABLY DECLARED YOUR POLITICAL AFFILIATION AND DID NOT GET FIRED, RIGHT?
Abeiku: This is Abeiku Santana for you. I always set new standards and trends. EMM: HOW DID YOUR EMPLOYER OR BOSS TAKE IT? Abeiku: My employer was very disappointed! It could have cost me my job! I was called one day and asked what I have to say regards my name in the papers that I’m campaigning for candidate Mahama because I’m not supposed to do so due to my job as a broadcaster. Immediacy, I knelt down in front of my boss and apologized and explained how it all happened. This is what happened. I went to a programme and a Daily Guide newspaper reporter saw me wearing candidate Mahama T-shirt, snapped me with his camera and put it on the internet – facebook. Later, one Charles Takyi Boadu sent me a WhatsApp message that ‘we have your picture wearing candidate Mahama’s T-shirt, how do you respond
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
17
to this? Watch out, it’s coming out soon!’So I saw an agenda, so quickly I came out to endorse it properly. That evening, I called Shamima – Citi fm presenter, and told her that they should grant me interview, that, I’ve formed a group called Youth for Mahama; in other words, I’ve endorsed candidate Mahama. So they interviewed me on Citi fm’s ‘Eye Witness News.’ Then TV 3 also called me and I confirmed to them. The following day, the news had spread all over and the calls started flooding in on my phone. But at the end of the day, I promised my employer it won’t happen again. I could have been sacked. EMM: DID YOU MAKE ENEMIES? Abeiku: Yes! I made lots of enemies for myself! You known Ghana and the way people have taken this political game. I recall when I was campaigning for Mahama, my boss warned me not to say anything against any other political party on air. I’m very sure during the election the NPP people were monitoring me to see if I could say just one thing, they would have dealt with me paa (laughs out loud). But honestly I have a lot of NPP friends. A lot! EMM: AFTER CAMPAIGNING FOR HIM TO WIN, YOU CRITICIZED HIS GOVERNMENT….DIDN’T MR. MAHAMA OR THE NDC PARTY SEE YOU AS A TRAITOR? Abeiku: Yes! I came out to condemn some people around the President before even Alban Bagbin, Tony Aidoo and others from the NDC did! That is not betrayal! The President knows that I’m a very sincere person. Look, we need to grow to the point where we can look into our brother’s eyes and tell him, ‘you are wrong.’ We must get to the point where we listen to honest and sincere people in this country and stop the face worshipping, face saving, and the gimmicks! So the President did not find my condemnation as betrayal at all! He did not and does not see me as a traitor at all because he believes in sincere people like me. EMM: WOULD YOU CAMPAIGN AGAIN FOR MR. MAHAMA IN 2016? Abeiku: Well, as they say, ‘never say never.’ Let’s get to the bridge.
18
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
General life and experiences EMM: DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS AN ACCOMPLISHED MAN IN LIFE? Abeiku: No. Even though some see me and they tell me that they look up to me, I don’t see myself as an accomplished man. I see myself as a person who has a long way to go. EMM: WHAT IS THE WILDEST SCANDAL YOU HAVE EVER HEARD ABOUT YOURSELF? Abeiku: Well, all the things I’ve heard before were normal, because, most of the things they said or wrote about me were true; just a few are misinformation or gimmicks. But again, let me not waste your space on those scandals. They are past and gone.
ISSUE #006 | 2014
EMM: HOW DO YOU TAKE CRITICISMS? Abeiku: I actually open up and subject myself to criticisms. I tell people to criticise me because you can’t know it all. It takes a person who will first critique and assess him or herself, to appreciate and accept criticisms directed at the fellow! If you don’t criticise yourself, when others do, you find it bad and offensive! I criticise myself, so when others do, I don’t get offended because I know what they are saying is true. EMM: WHAT GETS YOU ANGRY EASILY? Abeiku: Disappointments. I don’t like disappointments so I don’t like others disappointing me. I try as much as
and people tell me they listened to me and were blessed. One person once called and said he has wanted to take his life but he listened to me and changed his mind. People tell me I’ve touched their lives! You mentored me! That is my greatest achievement not the physical or material gains of life. EMM: SHARE A LITTLE OF THE MATERIAL ONES WITH US. Abeiku: Well if you insist. I have trained more than 45 radio presenters in this country. I established my company Strategic Communication in 2005 and now have staff strength of 7. My company has worked for both local and multinational companies in the areas of designing and developing marketing communication We design below the marketing strategies, events, activations, selling, public relations, research, etc. Our clientele include; NIB, MTN, Kasapreko, Ernest Chemist, Goil, Ghana Tourism Authority, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Information, and others.
My father named me after the late broadcaster, Gilbert Ankrah. possible not to disappoint others. For instance, this interview we are having, everything seemed impossible for it to come on but since I had promised you, I cancelled all my schedules to honour my promise. As for those who gossip, backbite, or criticise me, they or their actions do not get me angry at all! I see them as flying birds who don’t land. EMM: WHAT IS/ARE YOUR WEAKNESS (ES)? Abeiku: I trust people too much. I give people too many chances out of trust and it affects me negatively. Secondly, I talk too much. Lately I try to speak less because when you talk too much, you bore people and also divulge secrets. EMM: WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST REGRET IN LIFE? Abeiku: My greatest regret happened
I’ve also trained lots of guys in the area of marketing and communication.
Life in showbiz or creative arts industry
in 2004. I was misled and did a very bad thing. I trusted a friend and he made me do a silly thing. I forged some documents and I was arrested. I knew that it was wrong to do so but I couldn’t control myself. I was arrested and sent to cells. I was later prosecuted but freed because I was a first time offender. I was given a parole not to do that offence again for one year in America. It could have landed me in jail, maximum 5 years and minimum 1 year. That is my greatest regret. I’ve swore to myself never to allow myself to be used as a pawn; not for anything in this world. EMM: WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT IN LIFE? Abeiku: My greatest achievement is having impacted positively into peoples’ lives. Sometimes I get calls
EMM: WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON GHANA’S CREATIVE ART OR SHOWBIZ INDUSTRY? Abeiku: It has been the biggest revolution to this country. Unfortunately, it has been the biggest oversight in this country because we don’t understand it and we don’t appreciate it! If you don’t appreciate something you don’t value it. EMM: Has government (s) failed the art industry? Abeiku: All of them! Successive governments in this country have failed the art industry woefully! The State does not value creative arts! I have travelled to African countries like Tanzania, Egypt ,Kenya and South Africa and they are all supported by their governments! For instance, in South Africa, the State has policies and laws that require companies to annually budget for the creative art industry. The laws and policies enjoin them (companies) to identify their areas of interest in the creative art industry and fund and produce annual reports for audit! Not here that you have to write sponsorship proposals and hop from
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
19
one company to the other begging for sponsorship. Our governments have not helped us over the years! EMM: WHY SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT MAKE THE CREATIVE ART INDUSTRY ONE OF ITS PRIORITY AREAS? Abeiku: Fantastic question! The government should because, art defines us. We can sell Ghana with our arts and culture. Let me tell you one thing we are losing sight of, the kids we are teaching ICT, Marketing, Accounting, HR, etc. are now not interested in all those courses! We are wasting our monies and time. It’s time to refocus attention on talent or careers driven by talent. Now the kids are learning music, dancing, and creative art at the elementary level. Every child or human being has got a talent. By the time these children reach JHS, the talent has already started manifesting. They then transit it to the secondary school so after their SHS education, they are no longer interested in going to the university. Go and check when Sarkodie started rapping, in JHS or SHS! Also, the creative art industry is now the fastest growing industry in the whole world. It’s the largest employer.
20
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
In 2013, the service industry of which is dominated with arts, contributed 32% to Ghana’s GDP; after all our mining, oil, agriculture and whatever. Thirty two percent is huge! So what excuse does the government have for not prioritizing the creative arts industry? EMM: MENTION TWO MAIN THINGS THE INDUSTRY LACK THAT IS AFFECTING IT ADVERSELY. Abeiku: First, there is no Institution or Regulatory body
Every child or human being has got a talent. that is organizing, controlling, coordinating, and panning the industry. Everybody is doing his or her own thing. Secondly, there are no advanced or progressive career paths for the creative art industry.
ISSUE #006 | 2014
Let me explain well. For instance, in the area of medicine, there are continuous learning programs; you can do postgraduate in medicine. Also, in the area of law, there is continuous learning program you can go on and further do LLM and even specialize in a particular field in law. In the area of art, we don’t! There is no such designed advanced career path so we make the stars for a while and
after sometime you (stars or celebrities) are off! Today, where are our old stars? You will go and see them doing nothing because there is no career progression! They are wasting all their long years of experience, talent and knowledge at home. It’s very sad. EMM: YOU RARELY PASS COMMENTS ON HAPPENINGS IN THE INDUSTRY. WHY? Abeiku: Well now I’m doing. You see, I don’t because I’m not interested in the ‘noise’ going on because the industry is not well organized. We like PR in this country too much than the work itself! Everybody is talking and blaming each other whilst the actual things to be done are there; left abandoned! I’m not interest in the public talking! I believe in action! Some of those who call themselves entertainment analysts and critics don’t even understand nor have in-depth knowledge about what they say or the things they criticize! EMM: IN WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU CONTRIBUTED TO GHANA’S SHOWBIZ OR CREATIVE ART INDUSTRY? Abeiku: A lot! I’ve supported many artistes with promotions and sold their rights outside the country. For instance, I sold Esther Smith’s first album’s right at 25,000,000 (now GHC 2,500) to Paradigm Music. I sold that of Nana Quame to Big Apple Records, Lucky Mensah’s to Tropical Vibes, Nkasei, and others. I’m still promoting artists via my radio platform and organize events. I’ve done a lot which I can’t give off cuff!
gained admission to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology KNUST to pursue publishing which I declined for radio. Whiles doing radio, I studied Public Relations at Ghana Institute of Journalism. After completion, From there, I attended New York Paralegal school. I studied Litigation and Legal studies and obtained an Associate Degree. I hold a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Law. I came back to Ghana and pursued a Post graduate Diploma in Public Administration at Ghana Institute of Management GIMPA. I’m an associate Chartered Marketer from the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana. EMM: SOMEDAY WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS MATERIAL WORLD, WHAT ONE THING DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR? Abeiku: Radio. EMM: WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE? Abeiku: It’s a great initiative and I feel very honoured that out of the many young exclusive men who are contributing their quota to this country, you guys settled on me for your august medium. I endorse Exclusive Men’s Magazine. Till we become legends…. thank you. EMM
. .I’m an associate Chartered Marketer from the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana.
EMM: DOES THE FUTURE LOOK BRIGHTER FOR THE INDUSTRY? Abeiku: It should but the future is undefined. We don’t know where we are going and so we are not preparing for it. Until we realize this, I will only say our future is undefined. We don’t know where it is going. It’s sad.
Background, education and family EMM: PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, EDUCATION AND FAMILY. Abeiku: I was born and grew up in Koforidua. I attended Nana Kwaku Boateng Experimental. From there, I attended Ghana National College where I had my ‘O’Level. From there, I went to Ghana Secondary School for my Sixth Form. After completion, I
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
21
EMM Chats with
Santana’s wife In an exclusive interview with wife of Abeiku Santana, Genevieve she had this to share with EMM about her husband.
EMM: HOW DO YOU FEEL BEING THE ‘FORCE’ BEHIND SUCH A PROMINENT MAN? Genevieve : I feel honoured and very proud (Smiles).
it is! I get worried. I get worried for him and not myself per say. You know, we have different kinds of people and what they can take. Some may take his words lightly, others may react fiercely.
EMM: IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU SUPPORT HIS PROFESSION? Genevieve: I understand the nature of his job and so I give him space. I tolerate him and the challenges that come with his job; for instance, like coming home late and impromptu travels…. And of course the ladies (laughs). But I know my man.
EMM: IN JUST THREE WORDS, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HIM? Wife: Hardworking, caring and a gogetter.
EMM: WHAT ONE THING ABOUT HIS JOB ARE YOU NOT TOO COMFORTABLE WITH? Genevieve: Sometimes the way he talks about others so blatantly. He says it as
22
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
emotional. Abei wakes up every day at dawn and prays. I mean every blessed day! He mostly walks round the house. On his emotional aspect, he appears like a ‘hard’ guy but a little thing can make him cry like a baby. He’s that emotional.
EMM: HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU HEAR HIS VOICE ON RADIO? Genevieve: (Stares at Abeiku and smiles) He’s interesting to listen to! Very interesting! And sometimes scary!
EMM: WHAT ARE SOME OF HIS WEAKNESSES? Genevieve: (Stares at Abeiku and asks him) should I say it…? (Laughs) Sometimes he does not understand others. He believes or expects others to behave like him which as you may agree with me, is highly impossible.
EMM: SHARE ONE OR TWO SECRET (S) ABOUT HIM WHICH THE PUBLIC DON’T KNOW. Genevieve: He is very prayerful and
EMM: TELL YOUR HUSBAND SOMETHING. Abeiku: (Stares deep into Abeiku’s eyes) I love you. EMM
ISSUE #006 | 2014
ST E YL
Things such as men who are polite, calm, and considerate are the cornerstone for defining what it means to be a gentleman.
?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A
gentleman The meaning of being a gentleman has changed over the course of time. When you are speaking historically, the title of being a gentleman was not originally based on the action of a man, rather it was a given birthright. Men with parents that were wealthy and had a good social standing would be considered to be among gentleman. During this time period these gentleman did not work to achieve the wealth and status they had, but instead the title became more or less inherited through their family name and origins. Over time, the meaning of gentleman began to change and evolved into something quite different. It was no longer just used for those men who were born into nobility or prominent social status. It had adjusted to also include those men that who had worked for their own prosperity, yet also displayed values of hard work and leadership. It then turned into a term that was used as a polite way to describe a man of character. The term gentleman has of course changed over hundreds of years, however now it’s used to describe the actions and behaviors of a man. The historical influence of social status has shifted far from the traditional nature of what it means to be a gentleman.
21st century – What does it mean to be a gentleman today?
Then you get to the 21st century which we’re at right now. In the 21st century, being a gentleman is based on a man’s values, morality and honor. It means that a man will devote his life to a superior standard of conduct. This does not mean that they are or feel that they are better than anyone else; it just means that they hold themselves to a high set of standards. Things such as men who are polite, calm, and considerate are the cornerstone for defining what it means to be a gentleman.
The most common perceptive for a gentleman is a man who ensures that he is chivalrous towards women. The term attaches itself to men who are courteous and treat women with respect. Gentlemen are attentive to what a woman wants and needs, yet in the same regard they understand their own value and purpose. When a gentleman goes out with a woman, he will chose the place their going, but at the same time also be considerate to her interests and likings. He is the man that will give her a gentle push from behind when walking into a restaurant. And also the type of person who will elect to let her walk in front, while he protects her from behind when navigating through a
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
23
dark alley. Yet although the most common description of being a gentlemen comes down to brining a woman flowers, opening doors, and pulling the chair out for her, there’s actually much more to it. You could consider those small acts of noble kindness that make her feel special that are key to explaining what it means to be a gentleman, but what it comes down to is being a powerful man. In reality, a gentleman is a man who is sure of both his words and actions, and will do those things to accommodate her with confidence. As a gentleman, the reasoning isn’t solely based on what’s been expected of him. We all know treating women with respect and making her feel special is more or less a traditional value. However a gentleman does these types of things because he commits himself to a higher standard, and makes what he feels is the right decision. Another way to describe a gentleman is to consider how he handles himself in times of desperation in the hearts of those around him. When in a situation that is difficult or dire, it is beneficial to have someone around that will remain calm. A gentleman can help calm others down and make them feel more secure and safe while in his presence. He does so even if it means to sacrifice his own safety or to go against his own mind’s fear. A gentleman takes control of the situation to display both his confidence and leadership. Those around him take comfort in his helping hand and view him with the utmost level of respect. In a similar manner, should there be an argument or disagreement among another man and himself, a gentleman will remain calm and take a hold of the situation with dignity. He will not sacrifice his pride, but rather use logic and understanding in an attempt to win over the hearts of those who do not agree. A gentleman will listen without making attempting to pronounce his negative remarks or opinions. He will hold his tongue until he determines when it is appropriate to give a response. Gentlemen also understand what it takes to be respectful of others and polite no matter what the circumstances are. Being polite and respectful does not make them weak; it actually does quite the opposite. A gentleman has a firm principal that any type of tense situation can be handled civilly, without creating bigger issues.
24
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
Being responsible is additional characteristic of what it means to be a gentleman. They take care of their responsibilities on a daily basis, whether it is their job, family, friends, or any other responsibility. They will take care of it and vow to never break their word. A gentleman’s word to him is a lifetime legal contract which is to never be broken or left unfinished. A gentleman also is on a constant search to seek out the answers in order to gain a higher knowledge and fulfillment. He will make it his purpose and principal to become more intellectually and culturally experienced. By going out and learning what he can about a variety of different subjects and cultures, he will be able to stay current about what is going on around him. As an avid traveler and enthusiast of all common interests, a gentleman can elect to carry a conversation or choose to spark one up, no matter his expert level of degree on the subject. In return a gentleman gains respect from all those around him through his diverse cultural knowledge and remarkable story narration. However there are not as many gentlemen in the world today as there were in the past. For a sizeable amount of men today, they do not seem to set the high standards that a gentleman should hold themselves at. If there were more men that would take responsibility for their actions and behavior, they could commit to becoming a gentleman and groom themselves into becoming everything that a gentleman should be. It will not happen overnight, but with dedication it can be done. All men should aspire to be a gentleman and follow a set of value and moral principals whether in part or full.
BEING A GENTLEMAN IS HOW YOU BECOME A POWERFUL MAN IN LIFE; IT’S THE WAY TO GAIN THE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION THAT YOU SEEK FROM THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU.
ISSUE #006 | 2014
Being a gentleman is how you become a powerful man in life; it’s the way to gain the respect and admiration that you seek from the people around you. It will also turn you into a man that is loved, and respected by not just women, but by your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Take the steps towards following what it means to become a gentleman, and you’ll find yourself on a journey of enlightenment. Many man have left behind their legacy their words of wisdom, follow in their footsteps and you’ll make a sizeable impact on the world…E.M.M-Till We Become LEGENDS! EMM
5
REINVENT YOURSELF IN
EASY STEPS
The biggest results come from the simplest of changes.
1. Prioritize
To improve your life, you must first identify the areas that need change the most. It’s important to prioritize because we all have a limited amount of willpower. The area of your brain that governs self-control is also in charge of day-to-day tasks, short-term memory, and staying focused—so it’s easy to imagine how that little area can get overworked and begin to shut down. As you take on new tasks, do one thing at a time. Don’t resolve to lose weight, land a new job, and improve your dating life all at the same time. Pick the one that’s in most dire need of attention and start there. Researchers from Macquarie University in Australia found that taking a step-by-step approach helps ease the pressure on your brain when trying to solve multiple problems, and prevents shutdown (and ultimately failure). The less fatigue your brain has, the more willpower you’ll have saved to devote yourself to completing your tasks, one by one. 2. Decide your Fate Behavioral change psychology includes something called the Theory of Planned Behavior, which says that your “perceived behavioral control” is the only difference between getting things done and constantly wishing you could. Up to 50% of your ability to succeed depends on whether you merely think you have control over a situation. So what makes you feel in control? Simplicity. When you set goals that are too simple for you to fail at (or at least appear that way), you create the perception that you have power. And with that feeling of control comes better execution, more willpower, and less stress. Want to lose weight? Make your goal no more specific than going to the gym three days a week. Interested in saving money? Set up an automatic transfer of some modest amount from your checking to your savings every two weeks. Steps like these are easy to execute. 3. Learn from Everything Changing your life is mostly about changing your mind. If you think positively, nothing discourages you, and any friction you have along the way—be it criticism or failure—is merely a chance to learn how to improve. If, when tasked with a project,
you start to predict a negative outcome, the potential fear this creates actually works in your mind to inhibit the process and sabotage the result. Naturally, you fall short of your goals, thereby confirming your initial worries, and the cycle repeats. Researchers at Stanford University studied athletes to determine what separated the star players from the benchwarmers. They found that if the athlete viewed his mistakes as a learning experience from which he could grow, he ultimately played better. Start every project or task by writing down what you hope to learn from the process instead of what achievement you expect. This will short-circuit your fears and help you to see the result—however successful—as a way to develop yourself. 4. Communicate Social media, e-mail, and other technology have damaged our communication skills. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that as digital communication has increased, the number of friends we have has gone down. In fact, Americans have up to one-third fewer friends than they did 2½ decades ago. The problem with online communication is a matter of emotion—or the lack thereof. Researchers at George Mason University discovered that because e-communication removes visual cues like eye contact and posture, the nonverbal interactions that create emotions like empathy, it’s more difficult to form trust with another person. Try to schedule at least one in-person meeting each week. Seeing is believing. 5. Dress Better People tend to treat their clothes like a stamp collection. They try to have one shirt from every designer and brand. Variety is good, but so is what looks right on your body. Different brands are known for fitting different bodies, so find the one label that seems to do the most for yours. If you do best with a slim, tighter-fitting jean, Hudson Harper or Levi’s 514 Headbanger straight jeans may be for you. If you have a medium build and need more of a relaxed fit, you could try J Brand Kane straight jeans or 7 For All Mankind standards. Getting your clothes tailored is best, but that’s a luxury. Find a brand that does the next best thing.
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
25
‘Abrantie
‘
the
Gentleman ‘There is great sophistication pairing prints and plains in today’s gentleman looks’. And these are exact words from Oheneba Yaw Boamah founder and creative designer of “Abrantie TheGentleman” fashion brand. Those who know him and have been lucky enough to wear his clothes, call him Abrantie. He is indeed the ‘King of today’s gentleman look’. The functional colorful designs and products bespoke from casual shirts, pants, shorts, bowtie, pocket geometry and boxers are high level striking looks made from inspired African print to give it an urban appeal.
E.M.M: TELL US ABOUT YOUR BEGINNINGS, GROWING UP, EDUCATION ETC. ABT: As a helping hand to my aunty who was a seamstress at my teenage, I guess the love for cloths set in then even though I was the favorite footballer among my peers. Drawing was my thing during my teenage. My love for sketching end me up offering visual Arts at the secondary school level and later to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to study Industrial Arts where I majored in Textiles. I did campus radio (then Conti FM now Focus FM) and developed the love for media works and started writing commercials for radio and television. E.M.M: HOW WAS AFTER SCHOOL AND THE JOURNEY INTO THE FASHION INDUSTRY. ABT: I did my national service alongside working with media houses into TV content production. I worked as a textile designer with Ghanaian Industries; Tex-styles Ghana Ltd (formerly GTP) and Ghana Textiles
26
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
Manufacturing Company (GTMC). Now a freelance textile designer, I have a lot of African and cooperate brand print designs to my credits such as Gh@50 anniversary cloth, Kwame Nkrumah Celebration cloth, Victory Bible Church, New Patriotic Party cloth, Retired Customs Cloth, Ghana Institute of Languages and countless school uniform transformation from secondary to senior high and still counting. E.M.M: HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A FASHION DESIGNER? ABT: Yes and No. Whiles working with the textile printing industry, I broke new grounds combining design, film and fashion. I designed artworks for the office of the president of Ghana, scripted, directed and produced an advertising mobile phone campaign TV series for TECNO Mobile Zone and worked as set and costume designer for African films where I met personalities like Jim Ike and Michael Essien to endorse and wear my first ready to wear outfit. The responds from then unfold the fashion side in me. I then identified the minimal usage of
ISSUE #006 | 2014
print by men and saw the need to urge the African man to look classic, bold and gentle and there came the brand “ABRANTIE The Gentleman”. E.M.M: WHAT TYPE OF STYLE DEFINES YOUR LABEL? ABT: ‘Abrantie The Gentleman’ is where African tradition and style meet with class, confidence, charm and timeless elegance inspired with African touch, coupled with different elements of art that defines a gentleman. E.M.M: WHO ARE YOUR CLIENTS? ABT: My clients are mostly people of class and taste from all over the world. I also have local clientele even though most of my clients are mostly Africans living outside Ghana. E.M.M: WHAT WAS THE FIRST ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU MADE FROM YOUR LABEL? ABT: I made a pair of Kente pants for myself and the orders started coming through. That led to the first collection “A-LOOK” which caught on since it was a unique trend for men fashion.
E.M.M: OVER THE YEARS, WHICH SHOW HAVE PUT YOU ON THE MAP? ABT: I’ve participated in shows like FashionGH Weekend, Oil City Fashion Show but the GLITZ Africa Fashion Week 2013 actually gave the brand that map mileage. E.M.M: ARE FASHION SHOWS WORTH IT FOR YOU? ABT: Yes they are because our works are seen by hundreds of people. My concern though is that there usually aren’t enough fashion buyers at these shows E.M.M: ARE THERE UPCOMING SHOWS OR ANYTHING NEW COMING UP WITH THE LABEL? ABT: Currently working on the new collection ‘HERITAGE’. The brand has been selected to represent Ghana among 21 other countries in an International Fashion and Arts Festival to be held in Burkina Faso and also invited to participate in the Durban Fashion Fair 2014 in South Africa as guest designer
E.M.M: WHAT INSPIRES YOU? ABT: The rich culture of Africa and the love for African gentleman looks. E.M.M.: ARE WE SLAVES TO FASHION? ABT: To me, it’s not a question of being enslaved by fashion. It is something which happens naturally. While we need to cover our bodies, we also need to look good. So fashionable clothes make us look good and uplift us making us feel good. Fashion also allows us to express ourselves without saying a word. E.M.M: FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? ABT: To see Abrantie The Gentleman brand very easy to assess globally with more lines and collections to satisfy our clients. E.M.M: WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE SUCCESSFUL? ABT: It takes dedication, absolute commitment and a whole-hearted, undying love for fashion and most importantly God. That’s why our slogan goes like “Nyame ne hene” literally
“God is King” E.M.M: WHAT BRAND LEGACY HAVE YOU ESTABLISHED FOR YOUR LABEL? ABT: People have associated the label with unique gentleman looks, quality workman-ship and absolute exclusivity. That is how I want Abrantie The Gentleman to be known – as a label that is all about quality and class. E.M.M: HOW CAN PEOPLE REACH YOU FOR ENQUIRIES AND ORDER? ABT: Abrantie The Gentleman provides thrilling and inspiring experience to our customers. Our services goes beyond regular timing due to our 24/7 hotlines +233 244 694 389/ +233 272 288 300. We are reachable through www.abrantiethegentleman. com , email:abrantieoheneba1@gmail. com and other social media like www. facebook.com/Abrantiethegentleman, www.instagram.com/abrantie_ thegentleman twitter: @abrantie1gh EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
27
FASHION
Textile Firm Contributes to the
Fabric of Society
The Medical Director of GTP, Dr Kwaku Sarkodea (left) exchanging greetings with the Juabenhene, Nana Otuo Siribuor during the presentation.
Nana Kwabena Yentumi, Group Marketing Director of GTP (right) presenting the items to Dr Prosper Gbekor, the Medical Director of the Hospital. Looking on are some key Distributors of GTP from Kumasi.
T
ex Styles Ghana, the company that brings GTP and Woodin products to the world, has once again demonstrated how seriously it takes its role as a corporate citizen, by donating 280 sets of bed sheets and pillow cases to the Juaben Government Hospital (JBH), in the Ashanti Region. This generosity is notable in itself, but really is remarkable when you consider that this is the tenth such gift from the company to the nation’s hospitals in just three years. This generous gesture, however, was just the beginning. Tex Styles Ghana has also donated the costs of refurbishing and repainting several JBH wards, thus improving the comfort of patients out of their beds every bit as much as the new bedding supplies do for them while in their beds. Of course, staff and visitors benefit from the new decor too, as modern fittings and smart new paintwork make JBH a more pleasant and welcoming place both to work and to visit. The company has identified donating to the
28
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
health of Ghanaians as a priority in its corporate social responsibility activity, the purpose of which is to make a meaningful and substantial statement of thanks to its loyal customers. In presenting the bed sheets and pillow cases to JBH, group director, Nana Kwabena Owusu Yentumi said: “high quality fabrics are Tex Styles Ghana’s business, so we know the difference these premium products, which include our top grade, 100% cotton grey baft, can make to aiding the recovery and comfort of Juaben Government Hospital’s patients, and the reassurance their comfort can bring to their loved ones.” The Omanhene of the Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Otuo Siribuor praised Tex Styles Ghana’s generosity and announced that JBH would be opening an emergency service facility, in a move that upgrades JBH’s services in parallel with its new look and bedding. JBH’s medical superintendent, Dr Prosper Gbekor said the timing of the company’s donation could hardly have been better and promised the
ISSUE #006 | 2014
bedding would be put to the best possible use. JBH joins an impressive list that includes: Koforidua Regional Hospital, St Joseph and Effiduase hospitals, also in Koforidua, Tema Polyclinic, Nkwatia Health Centre and the Kwahu Government Hospital in Atibie as beneficiaries of Tex Style Ghana’s ongoing generosity to its customers and fellow Ghanaians.
Paul Boakye | CEO & Creative Director PAUL BOAKYE ASSOCIATES t: +233 (26) 539 5100 e: CEO@paulboakyeassociates.com w: www.paulboakyeassociates.com
G RO O G IN M
PREVENTING
RAZOR BUMPS
M
ost men have suffered from ingrown hairs or razor bumps at one point or another, and a large percentage of men must deal with the condition on a regular basis. This is especially true for Ghanaian men. Because black men have body hairs that are predominantly curly and wiry, shaved hair follicles tend to curve back and re-enter the skin as they grow, causing irritation and razor bumps. Ingrown hairs can also occur when hair doesn’t fully emerge from the skin’s surface and instead sits coiled underneath, leading to bumps and possible infection. This reoccurring condition causes major discomfort in the beard and neck area and can affect black men for years and years at a time. The best course of action seems to be to give up shaving altogether—by not shaving the hair, it obviously doesn’t have a chance to grow back improperly and cause razor bumps. But in a society that prizes clean-shaven appearances, this is not an option for most black men. Instead, follow these simple men’s grooming tips to keep your skin smooth and refreshed, and correctly treat ingrown hairs. • Always use a sharp razor blade and discard old blades after 4-5 uses.
You might think this is excessive, but dull blades force black men to go over the same area of skin again and again, increasing the chances of irritation and improperly cutting hair. This goes for electric razors, too: replace the blades after every few months of use.
• Soften hairs before shaving by massaging warm water into the beard area and then applying a professional-grade, highlylubricating shave cream. Allow it to sit on the face for a minute or two to completely coat hairs before shaving.
• Reduce your number of shaves by shaving every other day. Giving the skin time to heal will allow hairs to grow straight through the skin’s surface, without forcing too-short hairs back into the skin. Frequent shaving too close to the skin will trap hairs inside the follicles.
• Follow a shave with an after-shave solution that contains hydrating ingredients like aloe, witch hazel and tea tree extract like Post-Shave Repair to cut down on redness and discomfort. Stay away from products that contain alcohol since this can dry skin out and provoke an ashy appearance in black skin.
• Exfoliate! Exfoliating with a gentle scrub removes the top layer of dead cells and allows hairs to grow out more easily. It also helps soften skin, clears pores and evens out patchy skin tones. • Many Ghanaian men benefit from using a single-blade razor, or a DE razor. Dr. Joely Kaufman explains, “I highly dissuade patients who suffer from razor bumps from using triple or quadruple blade razor systems. The closer the shave, the worse the razor bumps will be.” • Always shave in the direction of hair growth. While shaving upward seems to give a closer shave, shaving in the hair’s direction reduces irritation and the likelihood of hairs growing back into the skin. Don’t pull skin taut when shaving since this can also cause ingrown hairs to form.
• Resist the urge to simply pluck ingrown hairs out. A new hair will just grow again, and you’ll be facing the same exact problem. • Most importantly, take your time when shaving. Everyone’s been guilty of the 30-second shave on Monday morning, but shaving slowly and with care can dramatically reduce nicks, cuts and abrasions that can aggravate razor bumps. • If you find that you are suffering from severe cases of inflammation or razor bumps, talk to your doctor or dermatologist. You may be a candidate for electrolysis (a lowlevel current is used to destroy follicles) or skin depilatories (chemical creams that soften and minimize growth).E.M.M-BE ON TOP ALWAYS
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
29
EXCLUSIVE MODELS INCORPORATED (E.M.I), GHANA is an international Model and Artist Management Company in Ghana registered under the companies’ code 1962 (Act No. 151) as part of Clemok Group of Companies with its head office in Accra. In today’s fast-paced world, we need Models to pose for artists, photographers, or customers to help advertise a variety of products, including clothing, cosmetics, food, and appliances. Since all models work with agents, E.M.I (Ghana) has been established to provide the professional link between the models and clients, hence at E.M.I (Ghana), we recruit, train, manage and groom models to suit our clients’ specifications hence our motto; THE ELITES
Promote products in commercials;TV,Radio,Billboard,Editorial etc. Display clothing, such as dresses, coats, underclothing and suits, for a variety of audiences and in various media. Model accessories, such as handbags, shoes, and jewelry, and promote beauty products, including hair, fragrances and cosmetics. Work closely with photographers, hair and clothing stylists, makeup artists, and clients to produce a desired look. Wear designers’ clothing for runway fashion shows and many more.
To be ONLY internationally recognized Model and Artist Management Agency in Ghana. Through excellent service to our clients, we aim to achieve and maintain industry leadership, growth, and respect.
E.M.I(Ghana) also provides other services such as Personal Grooming, Catwalk training, Modeling School,Presenters,Actors/ Actresses,ushers,Choreographers,Movie/Music Extras, Make-up Artists, Voice Over, DJ’s, Photographers, Interior decoration, Events management and many more.
OUR MISSION
OUR COMMITMENT
OUR VISION
To supply experienced, disciplined, dedicated and well trained professional models and talents to work in major motion pictures, television, commercials, industrial videos, and print work and to provide the best value for money services to our clients.
At E.M.I (Ghana), we are committed to providing quality service whiles maintaining trust with our clients. We strive to do the best for our clients’ whiles being diligent in presenting our clients to the world marketplace.
OUR SERVICES
We supply professional models and talents to all interested clients both locally and internationally. Don’t just use any model; use an Elite Model from Exclusive Models Incorporated (E.M.I) for desired results.
Our main goal is to provide our clients with appropriate and professional models needed for their everyday requirements such as Product endorsements, advertising etc Our well trained models;
TARGET MARKET
E.M.I (GHANA) IS THE PLACE WHERE TALENTED PEOPLE CAN FIND THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO FIND THEM.
CONTACT Zion Benjamin Managing Director (M.D) Tel: 0543-861522, 0244733534, 0236082088 Email: emigh2013@gmail.com, emighana@yahoo.com www.emighanamodels.com
N SH IP S LA TI O RE
A relationship & girlfriend or the single life with a career
F
or many men who are in hindering relationships, the decision to break up might be difficult, but the pursuit of a career passion can be beneficial. Those who find themselves in relationships that don’t progress may want to consider entertaining the idea or they may forever regret not making a move. As you’ll notice there are lots of people who end up getting divorced or break up after they were so initially happy in the beginning, often saying things like “we’re perfect together”. It’s becoming all too common as people are generally happy to begin with, but after time the unhappy aspect of it just happens. There are times when we need 100% freedom to go where we need to go and to do the things we want to do. While most people say the right person is willing to understand that, it can start to take a toll on the relationship. Meeting Worthy Women That Will Push You To Be Successful It’s difficult to meet worthy women, and while some people ultimately work at finding companionship, others for the moment are working for a paycheck. It can be extremely difficult to find someone who is understanding and fully supports your personal success independent of them. The wrong girl is good for intimacy, but she doesn’t improve your real life in any way. She doesn’t push you to achieve more by being successful nor does she create a relaxing atmosphere after work. In reverse, the right girl has great intimacy, pushes you to achieve everything you can, focuses on her career, and shares and open honesty about good and negative things in the relationship. While the right girl sounds perfect the problem is it’s rare to find that type of girl and being single with casual hookups can be entirely less drama. However, there are people who assume that the choice of being single has nothing to do with not finding the right person. For
32
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
some of them, it’s really an active choice, they get dates often but they don’t actively seek out anything more than casual dating while being up-front about it. In dates they meet women, who in reality can be great matches, and there may be lots of these types of women, but some men simply aren’t interested. Being single doesn’t mean that they have horrible luck finding the perfect person; instead sometimes it just means they just are focused on other things and can’t devote enough active time to another person. “It’s a revolving door; often men go on binges from hooking up with a lot of women, and other times being so divulged in work they want to be left alone.” You’re out at a bar and you’re interested in a beautiful girl, but the thing that comes to mind is, “I would like to be with them, but knowing how they act, they’d do the same right back to me.” It’s a revolving door; often men go on binges from hooking up with a lot of women, and other times being so divulged in work they want to be left alone. It’s not a cue to write off relationships entirely, but when you’re single you should be planning for your future. Before you make a commitment to the relationship life, reach your career goals and becoming financially independent, as it’s better to not bring money and career issues into it. Even if you’re not stable, and you choose a relationship it’s a matter of doing what feels right, there’s nothing wrong with that. If your single and your view doesn’t change, there’s nothing really wrong with that either. If that’s what makes you happy, that’s all that really matters. Remember it’s not always about the girlfriend; there can be problems with people who hold you back including family and friends, if you evolve and become successful, you’ll leave them behind. As a result a long term girlfriend might try to convince you not to go for that promotion because you’ll be at work
longer, to not go to a school across the country, etc. There are exceptions to the rule, but at the end of the day if something is your dream (whether its career, school, a business you want to open, etc.) do that first.
a relationship is a horrible idea. Most people aren’t friends with their exes in the first place, once an ex always an ex is usually how it works, and most cease on negative terms. While there are many reasons for these breaks ups, a lot of people don’t say, “I want this person out of my life forever”, and losing contact forever doesn’t always happen. To combat this, the relationship that you’re in now as her new significant other should focused on being very open and building trust with each other. Insecurity is common, it happens but it doesn’t always mean you’re being betrayed so keep an open mind. Her speaking to her ex can be an emotional friendship, it’s the same kind of friendship you’d share with your friends or family but it doesn’t mean you want to date them.
Then work on a relationship. In the meantime, if you meet the right person, they’re going be the one supporting you in it, not trying to talk you out of it.
HOTSPOT!! DEALING WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND AND HER EX-BOYFRIENDS There’s the issue of being insecure and saying you don’t care, when in reality a part of you actually does care about your girlfriend’s interest in her exes. Your significant other can consider her ex as casual acquaintances that communicate on occasion, but when they remain best friends for life that still need to frequently do things together, they cross the line. Some can remain an online acquaintance which is fine, but when they begin to make inappropriate contact on social sites, start frequenting for lunch, dinner, drinks or become a nuisance with phone calls it’s not okay. However, there are also reasons for exes to remain in a person’s life which are due to expectations such as children, leaving you no choice. Many men won’t date girls who still talk with their exes due to two simple reasons: They maybe secretly infatuated with them, and when their ex doesn’t want them, you become their second choice. As well they can be enjoying the attention; in return many men aren’t interested in a woman who craves a ridiculous amount of attention and can’t get enough of it. Don’t give your girlfriend the choice or thought that they can’t add exes on social networks, you’ll create trust issues. Some couples go as far as giving each other access to both of their Facebook accounts to prevent these problems for ever arising...hmm. And while some might consider them being friends online a gateway to start talking again, most just wish each other happy birthday, talk about work and school-related things or recommended new movies or music.
Being insecure can sometimes be for good reasons, but being jealous and possessive is a line of thinking that comes with a cost. Don’t set rules against certain situations to protect yourself from being hurt out of fear and security. Become secure enough with yourself to know that the actions of others don’t reflect your view or reflection of your self-worth. Simply put, just because you find your partner having an intimate connection with another person doesn’t mean in anyway your self-value is any less. Your signification other having a deep, meaningful connection with another person, means you’re not their entire life, and in retrospect you wouldn’t them to be your entire life. Don’t monopolize on your girlfriend’s love in order to make yourself feel secure, in short don’t restrict her friendships with others. If you are searching for security, you must realize it comes from having selfworth, knowing you’ll be okay whatever happens, and having people in your life that you trust and love.
??
?
While most will agree this is the typical interaction, there are instances where there can be affection with a flirty or sexual tone in conversions and it’s something to consider. If she broke up with him after a large number of years being together and they’ve spent only a year or two apart, she may end up welcoming that affection from him. Another thing to consider is that while they may be talking, her ex may now be more reserved with expressing his emotions, reminding her how much they’ve changed, and how neither of them can provide emotional support for each other. Remember though, even if it’s just a simple message being sent from time to time it still won’t remove their past together. By speaking one word or phrase it can bring out emotions both positive and negative, and having these mixed feelings while being
2014 | ISSUE #006
All in all you shouldn’t let being insecure get a hold of your mindset, instead focus on finding someone to date who shares your beliefs. If you have no contact with any of your exes and expect whoever you date to do the same situation, it’s perfectly acceptable. It’s normal to be uncomfortable if their best friends and hanging out frequently, but if they want to meet up for lunch time to time, try to be understanding and in control of any jealously. A lot of times we’ll lie to ourselves and pretend like we don’t know just because we don’t want to face the insecurity. However, odds are if you are extremely insecure about the whole thing, it’s because you have a real reason to be. And it probably means the level of contact is inappropriate or representative of unresolved feelings that could flare up. BE ON TOP ALWAYS! EMM
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
33
reasons why most
Celebrity Marriages
FAIL
Credit: Stylecaster.com
Most celebrities are like little kids with never-ending allowances. Without impulse control or financial constraints to hold you back, your love life either becomes a train wreck or a business proposition. Add a high-profile wedding/divorce like Kim Kardashian‘s into the mix and you suddenly realize even money can’t buy you love OR a happily-ever-after. So in an effort to help those in Hollywood who may be thinking about taking the plunge into holy matrimony, here’s a handy cheat sheet of why it’s not going to work if any of these factors exist before you tie the knot.
Ego — If you’re both high-profile, you’re going to be constantly fighting for the limelight. Get over it — marriage is all about concessions, and at some point one of you is going to have to ride in the backseat for awhile. Reese Witherspoon totally got this. That’s why she ditched dating actors and married an agent instead.
Money – It’s the root of most problems in marriages, so why would celebrities be any different? If your wedding planning starts to resemble a board meeting you’re already in trouble. Stop selling your pictures, agreeing to TV shows and putting your relationship on blast via Twitter and Facebook.
Travel — The most successful Hollywood relationships are the ones where the other partner takes time off work to ensure that they’re always together. Come on, what’s 5 mil when you’re worth 20? Again, your relationship should be your number one priority — NOT your career.
Rumors — Every actor or actress I’ve ever met is insecure about something, so it only stands to reason a bunch of tabloid rumors are going to take an already shaky marriage straight to divorce court.
Pressure — Your fans want you to get married, your agent thinks it will raise your profile and your mom is sick and tired of bugging you about babies. So you do, and then disaster strikes. For every couple that rushed down the aisle (ScarJo and Ryan Reynolds, Eva Longoria and Tony Parker, etc.) there’s a couple like Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell that have lived together for over 20 years without the benefit of a marriage license and have a stronger relationship because of it.
Priorities — Think hard: Can you actually name drop a married star who uses the term “we” more than “I?” Fundamentally, marriage means what you want becomes what you and your spouse want — a hard pill to swallow when you’re used to being in control all the time. Suddenly you can’t just jet off to Vegas for a weekend with your friends or spend 10K on a pair of boots just because. When you’re the center of YOUR world it’s not easy to take a step back and let someone else have a major stake in your life.
My advice? Stop trying to rush things and take it slow. Sure, it may cost you that reality program on E! but just think of all the money you’ll be saving on court fees and alimony.
34
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
O SH Z BI W
LEXIS
BILL: A Pride of
JOY 99.7 FM
I
mbued with abundant wit and sarcasm, assuasive articulation, a mellifluent phonation, and a great sense of art incision, Louis Kwame Sakyiamah, who was born in the 80s to Dickson Nuamah and Mrs. Wilhemina Aninwaa, started writing poems right from infancy and was a rabid listener of radio.
In his Junior Secondary School days, Louis Sakyiamah, who was part of a group of ‘Bills’ comprising – The Vegas Bill, Texas Bill and others; ended up settling for Lexis Bill. Though he thought Lexis Bill was just an alias and so would die off after his graduation, that could not happen. He therefore had no option but to respond to the name Lexis Bill each time his close associates called him. Entering into radio was never a dream or a wish for Lexis Bill. However, his fate jibed with destiny when he was in the University of Science and Technology as a first year student. In an attempt to get the lyrics of a poetic prayer song by American musician, DMS, Lexis Bill approached the Programmes Manager of the campus based radio station – Focus FM. Unconscious of his mellisonant voice, the Programmes Manager told him of it to his awe. Lexis recorded a voice over for the manager which equally caught the admiration of the Production Manager and was asked to be a resource person on the station’s late night love and relationship talk show. That was exactly how Lexis entered into radio – a resource person as a first year student! The def in his presentation and erudite submission won him a permanent seat on the programme. Within few days, his fame had soared on campus. He became ‘news’ as a first year student having landed a rare privilege of speaking on radio as a resource person and delivering with astuteness. He was therefore asked by management of the station to host the morning show which he gladly did from first year. In his third year, he joined Kapital Radio as the drive time host; carving a niche for himself as the voice of urban radio in Kumasi - competing with virtuoso presenters like Andy Dosty and Apuso. Upon graduating with a B.A in Sociology - with a major in Human Resources, he was hired by Xtacy FM to host the station’s midmorning show after undergoing some training in radio
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
35
Entering into radio was never a dream or a wish for Lexis Bill..
programming. In recognition of his acumen and leadership skills, he was appointed Programmes Manager of the station. In October, 2010, Lexis Bill had a call from Multimedia Group - which is the largest media conglomerate in Ghana to work with them. The eloquent and witty Lexis Bill took charge of one of Multimedia’s most listened to radio airwaves - Hitz 103.9 FM as the host of the morning show, ‘Day Break.’ Lexis carved a niche for himself within some few months with an infectious delivery and authoritative presentation of highlife, hiplife, R&B and Hiphop songs as well as introduction of thought provoking topics on love and relationship, everyday inter-human relationship, and promotion of Ghana’s culture and arts. Lexis Bill, who has been known in Ghana’s showbiz industry with his alias,
36
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
Kwame Sakyiamah is the Host of the host of Drive Time on Joy 99.7 FM from Monday to Friday. Watch him on CineAfrik on Multi TV, Saturdays at 9:00pm and GTV on Mondays at 9:00pm for Men’s World.
announced his decision to drop his alias to concentrate on building his brand around his real name, Kwame Sakyiamah – a decision he has never looked back. Lexis Bill became Kwame Sakyiamah . Though Kwame Sakyiamah had stints with hosting programmes on Joy 99.7 FM – Multi Track Show and the Drive Time Show whilst at Hitz 103.9 FM, he was finally moved from Hitz 103.9 FM to Joy 99.7 FM by management of Multimedia. Kwame Sakyiamah is the host of Ghana’s finest late night show on the number one radio station in Ghana, Joy 99.7FM. The show, Late Night Express, runs from Monday to Wednesday from 10pm-12midnight. Kwame Sakyiamah has a special voice blog for his programme on Joy 99.7 FM. To get more love tips and updates via Kwame Sakyiamah’s voice
ISSUE #006 | 2014
blog service called vobolo which was launched early October, 2013, text KWAME to 1001 on Tigo, and 2510 on Airtel and Vodafone. Sakyiamah, who believes in challenging himself in broadcasting, stepped out of his comfort zone and ventured into television talk show hosting. He is the host of a new reality television talk show dubbed ‘Men’s World’- a 30-minute male-dominated show which airs on CineAfrik on Multi TV, Saturdays at 9:00pm and GTV on Mondays at 9:00pm set in a pub where male celebrities would meet after work to have male-tailored conversations. Listen to Kwame Sakyiamah on Joy 99.7 FM from Monday to Friday on Drive time and watch him on CineAfrik on Multi TV, Saturdays at 9:00pm and GTV on Mondays at 9:00pm for Men’s World. Kwame, Exclusive Men’s Magazine says you are a pride of Joy 99.7 FM. EMM
AMEYAW
DEBRAH Award-winning celebrity blogger, Ameyaw Kissi Debrah continues to shine in Ghana and across Africa with his hugely popular blog that is dedicated to everything celebrity, people, lifestyle, arts and culture. Now in its fifth year, www.ameyawdebrah. com has become to go to portal to know what is hot and happening not only within Ghana but the continent at large. Ameyaw holds a degree in B.A Publishing Studies from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where he was voted the Best Publishing Student of 2005. Debrah was introduced to the world of entertainment, arts and culture when after the university; he did his National Service at Ovation International Magazine in Accra. While at Ovation, he reported on entertainment and celebrity happenings in Ghana for the publication’s panAfrican audience. While at Ovation, he started contributing to several pan-African websites including Jamati.com, orijinent.com and modernghana.com and before the close of 2007, he joined Voices of Africa, a project based in the Netherlands, where he submitted, videos, photos and news from Ghana for www.africanews.com. Debrah’s works online caught the attention of many and in 2008 he joined www. ghanaweb.com as the entertainment editor. During the period, he also launched his highly popular and syndicated blog, www.ameyawdebrah. com. Today, the blog has become a leader in providing entertainment and lifestyle news not only in Ghana but across Africa. He is a regular contributor to StarGist on Africa Magic, www.dstv. com, and Glitz Africa Magazine. Through his work, Debrah has interviewed and met many international personalities such Kofi Annan, Rev
Jesse Jackson, Lloyd, John Legend, Damon Dash, Ade Bantu, Trey Songz, Amber Rose, Ludacris, Coptic, Wyclef, Mario, Eve, Sean Paul, Jimmy JeanLouis, David Clowney, Santonio Holmes and many others. His works has earned him Award nominations including 2012 Ghana UK Based Achievement (GUBA) Awards (Best Online Media), 2012 National Youth Achievement Awards (Media Excellence) and 2012 Ghana Fashion Award for Contribution to Fashion. In 2013, he won the Ghana Social Media Awards for Best Showbiz and Entertainment Blog; the 2013 City People Entertainment Awards for Best Blogger or online reporter (Ghana), and the 2013 Waves International Young Professional of the year. Ameyaw also owns Ameyaw
THE CELEBRITY BLOGGER WITH A MIDAS TOUCH. Debrah Media, an outfit which provides publishing services, PR services and social media marketing service. Ameyaw Debrah Media currently publishes www.ameyawdebrah.com, www.clickclickghana.com and www. nowghana.com. According to Ameyaw the best is yet to come. “As I celebrate 5 years of www.ameyawdebrah.com I plan to branch into other fields using my established and growing presence on social media. I wish to also bring onboard many of the young people who have shown interest in doing something similar to what I do so I provide some sort of internship for them. There is a lot to be done and I believe it has only just started, and with God’s blessing I will be able to my dreams and that of others come alive. EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
37
PRESENTS THE
MAGIC IN THE AIR
MUSIC | DRAMA | DANCE | COMEDY | POETRY
F E AT U R I N G
A D J E T E Y A N A N G | E K O W S M I T H | WA N L O V K U B O L O R SAMINI | BRADEZ | E.L | EDEM | KECHE | ADINA P R AY E - E U G E N E ( C H O I R M A S T E R ) TE RA
0 0 1
GH
C
BEN BRAKO AND MANY MORE
8
TH
NOV @ NAT I O NA L T H E AT R E
S AT 4 - 6 P M | 8 - 1 0 P M
Fo r Ti c ke t R e s e r vat i o n Co nt a c t : 0 5 7 2 7 5 2 6 2 1 | 0 2 6 5 2 1 0 6 8 7
IN COLL ABOR ATION WITH GHANA NATIONAL THEATRE AND NOYAM DANCE INSTITUTE
, n a m e h t t e e M
. H A O B A AKW t Concepts
y: Knockou
Compiled b
From the West coast of the African Continent, that country called Ghana, resides a proud son of the land whose passion and talent in music is close to an equal to none situation. From a music oriented genealogy, he is the grandson of hi life mogul Kwabena Akwaboah and son of the legendary Kwadwo Akwaboah, a Songwriter, Keyboardist and Music Icon formerly with the ever famous Mariots International Band. This is the man AKWABOAH.
He first announced his musical trademark to the world in 2009 when he wrote Daa Ke Daa for Becca and Ayeyi Ndwom for DSP Kofi Sarpong. Both songs won their respective artiste awards at the 2010 Ghana Music Awards with Akwaboah subsequently being adjudged the Song Writer For the year 2010 for Daa Ke Daa. Again in 2012, Akwaboah pulled another magic in writing the hit song “Best in Me” for Ghanaian songstress Efya. Akwaboah after years of perfecting his musical art launched his music career last year with the release of his first official single, I Do Love You which enjoyed loads of airplay across the country and on other international platforms. This song brings the late eighty’s born Akwaboah out as a great Songwriter and Composer of our time and a magnificent singer whose talent knows no boundaries. One can easily wonder what took him so long in letting the world know about his talent. With the release of I Do Love You, Akwaboah carved a niche for himself with his fan base growing from strength to strength as the days go by. His fans kept yearning for more which prompted him to release a bonus track titled Mesan Agye Wo as an addition to his first single.
He is a master keyboardist and has played for several local and international artiste including Hugh Masakela and John Legend.
Akwaboah has already been tagged as the “ladies man” by his fellow GH artistes and some personalities in the media. His personality, composure, attitude, voice, his choice of words and his kind of music as well as other qualities makes him win the heart of many young and affluent ladies in the country. May be, the doubting minds should get to listen his songs which are officially out in the public domain. Born Gladstorm Kwabena Akwaboah, the gentleman is just synonymous to music. Not only does he sing and write music close to perfection, his fingers are blessed with the power of controlling the black and white musical instrument to the core. He is a master keyboardist and has played for several local and international artiste including Hugh Masakela and John Legend. Akwaboah is currently signed on a management deal with Knockout Concepts and will launch his first album later this year. He tells his fans to just take it easy and relax “cuz he got more for them that will drive them crazy”. Also, he tells them to get more interactive with him through his social media accounts, that is, twitter, @akwaboahmusic and facebook which is Akwaboah Music. Very single and searching, Akwaboah hopes to raise a family sometime to come. Apart from I Do Love You and Mesan Agye Wo, Akwaboah has also released Nsroma (star) which features Becca and Forever which features the rap doctor Okyeame Kwame. EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
39
Photoshoot by David Photography Style by Samarra Krakye Gh Ojeanne Clothing
MR. MODEL
Ghana 2014 40
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
22 year old former student of the university of Ghana, Clifford Selorm Ametefe, won the maiden edition of Mr. Model Ghana compeittion organized by Fame Model Management recently in Accra.
KOJO RANA A RESULTS ORIENTED AND PASSIONATE EVENTS MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING EXECUTIVE WITH AN APPRECIABLE AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE IN EVENT MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING.
M
y job extends beyond planning and execution of events and promotions; it also engulfs brand building and effective communication strategies. I manage and supervise logistical, technical and creative elements that are required for an event’s success. As the head of events and promotions at Imajin advertising, I have created, produced and managed many successful events. Notable amongst them is the Legends and Legacy Ball (LAL BALL); an event that celebrates and honors living music legends in Ghana. It has become the flagship event of the company and one of the most anticipated annual events in Ghana since its inception in September 2011. Well
celebrated and younger local artistes as well as other international artistes who are usually friends of the legend pay their homage to the legend with spectacular performances by singing their renditions of songs from the legend’s repertoire. The legend is later awarded handsomely. Daddy Lumba was the first honoree. Patrons were treated to a world class event which made head line news in Ghana and around the globe for all the right reasons. The pedigree of the event attracted some very distinguished personalities, notably the two ex-presidents; John Agyekum Kuffour and Jerry John Rawlings. The two sat together, interacted and even shared a dance with their spouses at the event. This uncommon situation blew up the newsstands. Spear heading the team at Imajin, we changed the rules of event organization with this hallmark.
Production, set up, content and everything that characterized the event was executed with world class finesse. And that has been our hallmark till date. Subsequently, we have celebrated Daniel Abrantie Amakye Dede and A B Crenstil in grand style. Two international events; “Ghana stands in worship” featuring Donnie McClurkin(arguably one of the most successful and well produced outdoor event in Ghana), “stand up Gh” concert featuring Keri Hilson and Bow Wow, are events I have helped create, produce and manage as well. I have worked with some of the best and amazing technical and production teams in Ghana in all the events I have managed and produced, including my favorite event director Gilbert Allotey, the A- Team(The best production team in the Ghana), and Mr Mike Amonkwafo, director of television at Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation (GBC), who is a great source of inspiration to me. Studied in St Augustine’s college (Secondary school), Catholic university and currently in GIMPA pursuing a master degree in project management Was a member of the music group Rana… Still has music on his mind. EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
41
Up Close With
Legends & Legacy
Ball
Imajin Advertising is the organizer of the annual musical concert dubbed Legends and Legacy Ball also known as LAL BALL. In an exclusive interview with EMM, the Events and Promotions Manager of Imajin Advertising, Mr. Kojo Soboh aka Kojo Rana of defunct music group Rana, he shares the success story of Imajin Advertising and Lal Ball. EMM: WHAT DOES IMAJIN ADVERTISING DO? Imajin: We are into marketing, advertising, media buying, brand communication, and event organization. I must however add that, we are known as an event organizing outfit because many got to hear of us through our first successful musical concert Legends and Legacy Ball. Lal Ball shot Imajin Adverting into the limelight. EMM: WHEN DID YOU START OPERATION? Imajin: Late 2010 but I joined in 2011.
42
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
EMM: HOW HAS THE JOURNEY BEEN? Imajin: Smooth and rough but it’s been generally great! Though we knew the journey would be tough, we were optimistic! We put in a lot of hard work and devotion. It’s very difficult to be noticed and recognized in this industry but to God be the glory; we organized our first event and have since become a household name as far as event organization is concerned. Our biggest challenge in our first LAL BAL was the fact that no company was ready to sponsor. We financed it! The budget was huge but we thank God it
ISSUE #006 | 2014
has paid off. EMM: WHY LEGENDS AND LEGACY BALL? Imajin: Well, first, the concept behind the concert is to celebrate or honour our music legends/heroes. We felt that our music legends are not celebrated enough so why not design a concert to honour those who have contributed immensely to the development of our music industry both home and abroad. So basically, the need to celebrate our musicians who have contributed positively to the industry is the main reason or motivation for the LAL BAL.
EMM: WHO IS A LEGEND TO IMAJINE ADVERTISING? Imajin: A musician, who has made an indelible impact in the entertainment or music industry, still relevant in the industry, mentors the young musicians or the young musicians look up to, good track record, and finally, commercially viable. EMM: SO IN ESSENCE, THE ABOVE ARE THE TOUCHSTONES IMAJIN CONSIDERS BEFORE SETTLING ON A LEGEND TO BE CELEBRATED? Imajin: Precisely yes. EMM: SO IF A MUSICIAN MEETS ALL THE ABOVE CRITERIA BUT IS NOT COMMERCIALLY VIABLE, WOULD IMAJIN CELEBRATE HIM OR HER? Imajin (laughed): We will! Why not! But I must be sincere here that the commercial viability or value of the legend is key because we leverage on it to market, brand and seek sponsorship. It’s the same commercial value we use in attracting fans to attend the concert. We can also bring the commercial
value out of the person too. At the end of the day, there’s the business bit to consider…. (Continued giggling) EMM: IN YOUR FIRST LAL BALL, YOU CELEBRATED DADDY LUMBA AND INVITED TWO OF GHANA’S EX-PRESIDENTS: JOHN AGYEKUM KUFOUR AND JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS. WHAT DID IT TAKE TO ACHIEVE THAT DERRING-DO? Imajin: I must say it was a very daring ambition we had then because that was the first Lal Ball so they could have politely turned us down with a nice excuse – but for some reason, they believed in our concept and readily accepted to be part. EMM: IT IS WIDELY PERCEIVED THAT THE ABOVE EX-PRESIDENTS ARE NOT ON GOOD TERMS SO WHAT WAS THE POINT IN INVITING THEM TO ATTEND THE EVENT? Imajin: I agree with you that many perceive them not to be best of friends. We thought so too. What happened was a miracle. We invited them separately with no pre conceived
plans. We were only nursing our hopes for their attendance until they actually turned up. We were surprised at how well they got along and how things turned out. we are proud at what this event was able to achieve-bringing these two giants together. We all saw Rawlings hand his wife Nana Konadu over to Kuffour to dance with – that to me was a serious statement and symbolic! EMM: Did either of them know the other would be attending the event? In order words, did Rawlings know Kuffour has been invited and would be attending the show and vice versa? Imajin: No. We invited them separately and never hinted either that the other will be attending the event. To God be the glory, they both attended and sat close – the legend sandwiched them. EMM: SO IN EFFECT, YOU ‘USED’ THEM AS BAITS FOR THE EVENT, RIGHT? Imajin (Laughed): Well, you may choose to put it that way but I won’t. They identified with the concept of the
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
43
concert and came to have fun and at the end of the day too, they enjoyed themselves. Look, later, we had BBC report on the event. EMM: IS LAL BALL ALL ABOUT CELEBRATING MUSIC LEGENDS IN THE SECULAR WORLD OF MUSIC? Imajin: No. It is not entirely true. Why do you ask? EMM: BECAUSE IMAJIN HAS SO FAR NOT CELEBRATED A GOSPEL LEGEND. Imajin: Well, we have plans of celebrating gospel legends in the future. The fact that we have so far celebrated Daddy Lumba, Amakye Dede and A. B. Crentsil who are all secular artists does not mean we are anti-gospel or anything of that sort. EMM: DO YOU THINK WE HAVE GOSPEL LEGENDS IMAJIN CAN CELEBRATE SOMEDAY? Imajin: Yes! There are many of them! Off cuff I can mention names like Tagoe Sisters, Daughters of Glorious Jesus,
44
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
Stella Aba Seal, and others. I must admit that there are not many legends in our gospel arena who are still commercially viable. The commercially viable ones are few. EMM: ANY OTHER EVENTS ORGANIZED BY IMAJIN ASIDE LAL BALL? Imajin: Ghana Stands in Worship Concert hosted at the Accra Sports stadium in 2013 – where America’s award winning gospel musician, Donnie MCclurkin, performed; Stand Up GH in 2011 with headline artist Keri Hilson and Bow Wow; and Night with the Legends which is actually done in the region for the celebrated legend after being celebrated. EMM: ANY APPRECIATIONS TO SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED GROW YOUR BRAND? Imajin: We are most grateful to Mr. Mike Amon Kwafo, Nene Mike Gizzo, Gilbert Allortey, the A – Team, sponsors, especially MTN, Musiga, media and fans.
ISSUE #006 | 2014
EMM: WHO IS IMAJIN CELEBRATING FOR 2014? Imajin: The Maestro Kojo Antwi is our serious bet. EMM: WHERE DO YOU SEE LAL BALL IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS? Imajin: See it becoming stronger – because we are not only building the brand around the legends but with other factors such as: patrons’ satisfaction, publicity, consistency, technical production, and nationalism leanings. EMM: WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE? Imajin: You guys are doing a great job and Imajin is very glad to be associated with your brand. You celebrate men who are achievers and Imajin also celebrate’s legends so at the end of the day, we both have something in common – celebrate people. EMM
BU FI SIN N E A SS N CE &
Mr. Theodore K. Bright was born in England but had his elementary schools here in Ghana – Achimota Preparatory and Tema Secondary School (sixth form). He attended University of East London (LLB), University of Law (law school) and Manchester University (MBA) all in England. He practiced whiles in England for some years and later came back to Ghana and attended Ghana School of Law. He’s worked as a Corporate Lawyer in the Channel Islands in Guernsey and other corporate bodies. Mr. Theodore is currently the Head of Legal and Company Secretary of Opportunity International Savings and Loan Company and the Vice President of the Ghana Association of Savings and Loan Companies. He’s married to Joy Albright (Banking and Financial Lawyer) with a son. He loves reading, cooking and watching of movies – preferably, Hollywood movies. According to views EMM sampled from his coworkers, Mr. Theodore K. Bright is simply a corporate gem.
SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANIES ARE NOT ENOUGH IN GHANA Contrary to the general perception that savings and loan companies are becoming too many in Ghana, an authority in the field of finance, law and communication, has revealed that they are not enough; rather, Ghana needs more savings and loan companies. Exclusive Men’s Magazine scooped this revelation through an exclusive interview with Mr. Theodore Kwaku Bright, Head of Legal and Company Secretary of Opportunity International Savings and Loan Company and the Vice President of the Ghana Association of Savings and Loan Companies on a feature titled: “Influx in savings and loan companies in Ghana: sign of hope to Ghanaian traders and the financial sector?”
52
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
EMM: KINDLY SHARE A LITTLE WITH US: WHAT IS SAVINGS AND WHAT IS A LOAN? Mr. Theodore: Briefly, loans is any money advanced to a client for which the client is given a prescribed repayment schedule coupled with scheduled interest whilst savings refers to monies deposited with an institution for which there is an expectation that interest will be paid on such saved amount. EMM: CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE EMERGENCE OF SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANIES IN GHANA? Mr. Theodore: About 20 years ago, access to fiancé particularly for small and medium enterprises in Ghana, was difficult if not impossible. With liberation, the system saw the emergence of Nigerian banks coming in to fill the gap in our financial sector. Since then, savings and loan companies arose to fill in the gap and have since not looked back. EMM: MOST GHANAIANS HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN SAVING WITH SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANIES; ALLEGEDLY, DUE TO SOME BITTER EXPERIENCES WITH SOME NIGERIAN SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANIES IN GHANA. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS? Mr. Theodore: Well due to negative perceptions about Nigerians, there is a tendency to blame fraudulent activities on them. Certainly there are some out there who are not registered in any way, shape or form but masquerading as legitimate businesses. However, I purely take this question as an anecdote because I’ve never been able to verify a story of a Nigerian who duped anybody (laughs) EMM: HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE STORY OF A NIGERIAN OWNED SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANY BY NAME PIRAM WHICH CAME TO OPERATE IN GHANA IN THE 90S? Mr. Theodore: Yes I have. But I must admit that I was not in Ghana when they came. Nonetheless, I must correct the impression that Piram was not a savings and loan company. It wasn’t. Piram was a scheme that allowed its clients to save with it for interest on their savings. EMM: THANKS FOR THE CORRECTION. DID YOU ALSO LEARN THAT THEY DEFRAUDED MANY GHANAIAN TRADERS WHO SAVED WITH THEM AND BOLTED AWAY? Mr. Theodore: Yes I heard. I learnt they duped a lot of Ghanaian traders and ran away. From their modus operandi as I learnt, I was not surprised at the story. What do you expect when you save with a scheme and they give you 100% interest on your capital within a short period of 3-6 months? (Asked rhetorically) EMM: WHICH BODY REGULATES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANIES IN GHANA? Mr. Theodore: The Bank of Ghana under the Banking Act 673 and 738. EMM: SHOULD THE INNOCENT TRADERS ON THE MARKET CONTINUE SAVING WITH SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANIES AND WHAT SHOULD THEY LOOK OUT FOR BEFORE DOING SO? Mr. Theodore: Yes I will, because, we – savings and loan companies offer a service that cannot be rivaled by the universal bank. We offer accessibility and flexibility. In some instance, we offer affordability. For what they should look out for, first, they should check where they operate from – business location. Secondly, check from friends and family if they have heard about that savings
and loan company. Thirdly, inquire from the Bank of Ghana if the company is registered with the former. EMM: MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANIES ARE BECOMING TOO MANY IN GHANA. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THAT? Mr. Theodore: That is falsehood. We don’t have too many savings and loan companies in Ghana. Majority of the perceived ‘savings and loan’ companies in Ghana are rather microfinance companies. On record, we have only 23 registered and regulated savings and loan companies across Ghana and whilst there are others in the registration documentation process. EMM: SO DO WE NEED MORE SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANIES IN GHANA AND WHY? Mr. Theodore: Yes! We rather need more savings and loan companies in Ghana! Twenty three (23) savings and loan companies across Ghana are not sufficient to meet the needs and address the issues of customer choice and engender healthy completion in the financial sector. Again, from statistical data, only 30% of Ghanaians are banked (save with banks). Meaning, 70% of Ghanaians are not banked; whist some do not have access to banking facilities, the others do not feel confident dealing with banks. Out of this 30% who are banked, only a few can access loans from banks; so what it means is that, there is a huge number of people who need financial support to start business or expand. That is where the savings and loan companies come in handy. So yes we need more savings and loan companies in Ghana for healthy competition in the financial sector; for that will give clients choice and options but, regulation must be tight and appropriate. EMM: TELL US WHY PEOPLE SHOULD STILL HAVE CONFIDENCE AND SAVE WITH OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANY. Mr. Theodore: Well, Opportunity International Savings and Loans Limited, (Opportunity International) is a leading savings and loans institution in Ghana. Opportunity International is at the forefront of delivering transformational services to help transform the lives of clients. Opportunity International is licensed – June 2004 and regulated by the Bank of Ghana. Opportunity International was born out of the desire to impact the lives of the entrepreneurial poor in Ghana. Opportunity International is currently serving 352,927 deposit clients and 65,401 loan clients. The institution is dedicated to serving over 12,000 clients in the Agric value chain. Opportunity International has a multiplicity of delivery channels in Ghana. There are 35 main branches actively offering E-zwich and MTN Mobile Money and other remittance services. Opportunity International also has 4 Mobile Vans, 14 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), 4 Community Banking Centres and several POS devices located across the length and breadth of Ghana. As part of our strategy to promote financial inclusion for the poor and less privileged, the general public is being given financial education in various communities and Community Banking Centres. Already the general public has benefitted from the Financial Literacy Programmes on radio, TV and billboards across the country. EMM: WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR TIME. Mr. Theodore: My pleasure. I have heard the strides that Exclusive Men’s Magazine is making. I stand for quality and so urge the public to grab a copy. Thank you once again. EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
53
BU FI SIN N E A SS N CE &
S
ince the abandonment of the gold standard at the outbreak of WWI and the Bretton Woods Conference following WWII, some countries have been desperately seeking ways to promote global economic stability and hence their own prosperity. For the majority of these countries, the optimal way to obtain currency stability has been to peg the local currency to a major convertible currency. However, another option is to abandon the local currency in favor of the exclusive use of the U.S. dollar (or another major international currency, such as the euro). This is known as full dollarization.
How Pegging Works
The extreme method of pegging lies in a currency board, by which countries “anchor” their local currencies to a convertible currency (often the U.S. dollar). The result is that the local currency has the same value and stability as the foreign currency. Pegging has typically been a way to substantiate the value of a local currency against the world’s convertible currencies and to stabilize the exchange rate.
The Dollarization Alternative
As an alternative to maintaining a floating currency or a peg, a country may decide to implement full dollarization. The main reason a country would do this is to reduce its country risk, thereby providing a stable and secure economic and investment climate. Countries seeking full dollarization tend to be developing or transitional economies, particularly those with high inflation. Many of the economies opting for dollarization already informally use foreign tender in private and public transactions,
54
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
contracts, and bank accounts; however, this use is not yet official policy, and the local currency is still considered the primary legal tender. By deciding to use the foreign tender, individuals and institutions are protecting against possible devaluation of the local exchange rate. Full dollarization, however, is an almost permanent resolution: the country’s economic climate becomes more credible as the possibility of speculative attacks on the local currency and capital market virtually disappears. The diminished risk encourages both local and foreign investors to invest money into the country and the capital market. And the fact that an exchange rate differential is no longer an issue helps reduce interest rates on foreign borrowing.
Disadvantages of Dollarization
There are some substantial drawbacks to adopting a foreign currency. When a country gives up the option to print its own money, it loses its ability to directly influence its economy, including its right to administer monetary policy and any form of exchange rate regime. The central bank loses its ability to collect ‘seigniorage’, the profit gained from issuing coinage (the minting of monies costs less than the actual value of the coinage). In a fully dollarized economy, the central bank also loses its role as the lender of last resort for its banking system. While it may still be able to provide short-term emergency funds from held reserves to banks in distress, it would not necessarily be able to provide enough funds to cover the withdrawals in the case of a run on deposits. Another disadvantage for a country that opts for full
dollarization is that its securities must be bought back in U.S. dollars. If the country does not have a sufficient amount of reserves, it will either have to borrow the money by running a current account deficit or find a means to accumulate a current account surplus. Finally, because a local currency is a symbol of a sovereign state, the use of foreign currency instead of the local one may damage a nation’s sense of pride.
Advantages of Dollarization
Besides reducing risk and protecting against inflation and devaluation, there are some compelling reasons for a country to decide to give up so much control over its economy. As we mentioned above, full dollarization creates positive investor sentiment, almost extinguishing speculative attacks on the local currency and the exchange rate. The result is a
more stable capital market, the end of sudden capital outflows, and a balance of payments that is less prone to crises. Last but not least, full dollarization can improve the global economy by allowing for easier integration of economies into the world’s market.
Conclusion
Many emerging economies already use dollarization to some extent or another. However, many have shied away from it because economies that would consider full dollarization are those that are still developing. For many countries, having an autonomous economic policy and the sense of individual statehood that comes with it is too much to give up for full dollarization, an extreme option that is for the most part irreversible. EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
55
BI LE M O A U TO
The All-New
W
e all know Ghana’s rugged beauty is a wonder to behold, but for many Ghanaians, this has a downside. All-New Mitsubishi Outlander drivers won’t be among them. It was my privilege to have exclusive pre-release access to this newly upgraded and stylish crossover SUV, which is every bit as capable as it is sturdy and safe. When I got behind the wheel in the well-appointed cabin, it was easy to forget about the dust, potholes and poor road surfaces outside. Moreover, once I get going, unlike in virtually every other car I’ve driven in Ghana, these things presented no problem. I loved being pampered in the luxurious leather trimmed cabin, while knowing that the new Outlander is more than capable of dealing with anything our loose surfaced, pockmarked roads through at it. Perhaps even more than this, I loved the fact that it was all so easy. The ergonomics are excellent, with every control falling to hand naturally, allowing me to concentrate on driving. The all-new Outlander’s power plant adds to the feeling of total control and comfort, its 2.4 litre 16 valve petrol engine, uncannily quiet for 170 horsepower, with its fuel-efficient delivery doing the hard work, so I could enjoy the ride. And what a ride it is for a crossover SUV in this price bracket; it seems to break the laws of physics, offering as it
56
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
Mitsubishi Outlander
does great pliancy on the worst surfaces, excellent control in all conditions and allowing the chassis to do its work. Perhaps most remarkable of all about the upgraded features and performance of the new 2014 Outlander is the blend of power, control, handling and efficiency. It really is supremely safe and an effortlessly cool drive. Oh yes, and while speaking of things being cool, I really must mention the air conditioning here. You can go take a trip from Accra to Paga on the hottest day of the year and stay refreshed, calm and collected. And it is as quiet as it is effective, so there’s no need to pay for being cool by being bothered by noise. Every journey in the new Outlander is like an occasion. This isn’t just because of its supreme abilities, on and off road – though this certainly helps – but also because the cabin is such a calming, comfortable and welcoming place to be. The seats are supportive and hold everyone in place, however rough the going gets, though with that superb suspension, the job the seats have to do is much easier than it would be in this car’s competitors. You will also find the Outlander equipped with common safety features including anti-lock disc brakes, traction and stability control, and a range of airbags. Power steering, a powerful, six speaker sound system teamed up with a very good radio, keyless entry, a USB port, electric, tinted windows, leather upholstery. The upgraded Outlander has it all. I wish my house were as well equipped! And because this car’s understated class, deserves the best protection, it comes with a security system, central locking and a video camera as standard too. Be in no doubt: Mitsubishi is a world-class brand and this three-row, crossover is world-class SUV to rival any of its competitors. It doesn’t shout to make itself stand out from the crowd; there’s no need for it to do so. Instead, it goes about its business powerfully, quietly and without fuss. Passengers will enjoy it for its comfort, class and safety. But as a driver, I love it for its prestige, power, purposefulness, outstanding value and fuel-efficiency. I think you’ll love it too.
Paul Boakye | CEO & Creative Director PAUL BOAKYE ASSOCIATES t: +233 (26) 539 5100 e: CEO@paulboakyeassociates.com w: www.paulboakyeassociates.com
5
COMMON CAR BUYING MISTAKES have been known to tack on a “dealer protection package,” which will incorporate undercoating, rustproofing, advertising costs, document processing fees, and many more hidden expenses without you knowing about it. Be sure to ask about these costs, often found in the small print of your invoice. In some cases, you can remove some unnecessary fees, or at least reduce them.
Not shopping for the best financing rate
Don’t be mistaken; the dealership is not the only stop to make when buying a new car. Financing rates of 0% may look appealing at first, but they often last for no more than a few months, after which the interest rate skyrockets. Instead of settling for the dealership’s rate, visit various credit unions and banks. You may discover that getting a loan will cost less than financing directly. If you do find a loan that you like, it’s recommended that you get approved for it before buying the car. This will speed up the whole car-buying process.
Negotiating all pricing aspects jointly
Not considering the cost of insurance
Car salesmen may throw a reasonable figure your way, but don’t forget to include insurance when calculating the cost of your car. Insurance payments can be a significant part of your yearly car budget, especially if you purchase a car that’s a common target of thieves, like a Toyota Camry. Other models, like sports cars, simply have high insurance premiums because they’re more likely to be involved in accidents. Since the insurance is tied into the type of car you purchase, be sure to get a quote from your insurer before you buy a new car.
Thinking in terms of payment, instead of price
Finally, many customers have fallen into the same trap: They’re lured into buying a car because it offers low monthly payments, but consequently miss the big picture. That is, they neglect to see that the creative deals offered by the dealership often require large down payments or drawn-out payments. Always think in the long term. Let’s say you’re comparing a payment plan of $250 a month to one of $450, both offering an interest rate of 5%. The principal is $15,000. The first plan may seem attractive, but it’ll take six years to pay for the car and will accumulate $2,393 more in interest. The $450 plan takes three years to pay off and collects $1,184 in interest. That $1,209 difference in interest is significant. In this case, you’ll be paying less for longer, meaning interest rates have more time to pile up.
Not asking about hidden/extra costs
No transaction is as rife with tricks as buying a car. Dealerships
58
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
Remember what was said about the invoice price and the sticker price? Always negotiate from the former and don’t take “no” for an answer. Salesmen make a living off refusing to give up, so it’s only right to give them a taste of their own medicine. For optimal savings, it’s best to talk with the salesman about the sticker price, trade-in value of your old car and such things as financing separately. If you make every aspect of buying a car distinct, there’s better chance of reducing your expenses. It may look simple on paper, but this involves a lot of haggling. That’s why it’s a “common mistake;” most people don’t want to make the extra effort. If you do go the extra mile, there’s a strong chance you’ll come away spending less money than a lazy buyer will. Be wary, however, of not letting your emotions get the best of you. Whether the salesman rubs you the wrong way or you have already fallen in love with a certain car, don’t let the other guy know. He’ll jump at the weakness you’ve shown and exploit it, especially if you have a soft spot for one of the pricier models in the lot. Car buyers are also tempted to mention that they’ll be selling their car back to the dealer early on in the bargaining process. No matter how smart it seems, do not do this. Hold off on mentioning your trade-in until after you have settled on a sticker price for your new car. The reason? Because the value of your trade-in is linked to the price of your new car. In general, the more expensive the car you buy, the higher the dealer is willing to pay for your trade-in. If you tie in these two prices, however, you’re inevitably getting less than the ideal value of your old car. The dealer is likely to round off values when equating one lump sum, and may skimp on details since both car prices are taken together -- the customer will have a hard time finding errors. Negotiating the cost of the cars separately once again optimizes your expenses and return.
By Jones Offei CFAO MOTORS Airport Bypass Road, Accra
AUTO
TIP
USING YOUR CAR AIR-CONDITION AFTER LEAVING IT ON THE SUN FOR A WHILE
It’s not a question of good or bad as neither really applies. It’s a question of efficiency and comfort. The air conditioning system in any modern vehicle is designed to work in conjunction (and hopefully, harmony) with other basic systems found in/on the vehicle. Water pump, radiator, heater core, coolant, etc. When attempting to cool off the interior of a car that has been sitting in the heat for a while, just do the following.:
passenger side window while driving.)
5. Drive the car until you can feel the interior start to cool. 6. At this point, move the selector from fresh air vent to recirculation, and roll up the (remaining open) window.
NOTE: Most cars air conditioning systems will benefit from being drafted. ( having one window open about 1/8 of an inch. This also increases defroster efficiency.)
1. Roll down a window or two or leave a door open before
starting the car. 2. Allow the engine to run for a minute or two before turning on the air conditioning. 3. Make sure the system is set in the fresh air vent position instead of the recirculation position. 4. Once you feel the air from the vents start to cool, roll up all of the windows except the driver’s window. (If you have power windows, obviously you will have more control over this situation, but I don’t want someone with manual roll-up windows reaching across the vehicle to roll up the
Windows in automobiles do not implode or explode from changes in temperature. Other factors would have to be involved. ANSWER: Windows can break from temperature changes generally they won’t when cooling car with a/c crack a window about 1/2 an inch when u first start. switch a/c on and let it do its thing when car has cooled from a/c close window if car is sitting in sun and u set to fresh air, all you are doing is bring in hot air from outside.
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
59
PR IN OP SU E RA RT N Y& CE
Now is a GREAT TIME to INVEST in a RENTAL
I
f you’re thinking about investing in a rental property, experts say low home prices combined with low interest rates make this the best time in years to become a real-estate investor. What’s more, the real-estate market is starting to recover: U.S. houses lost $489 billion in value during the first 11 months of 2009, but that was significantly lower than the $3.6 trillion lost during 2008, according to realestate website Zillow.com. “We haven’t seen home prices this low in so many years, coupled with the rates being so low,” says Jill Sjolin, an agent with Windermere Real Estate in Woodinville, Wash., who specializes in investment properties. “When the money is cheap to borrow and the houses are cheap to buy, it’s absolutely the best time to invest.” While the timing may be right, these five tips can help first-time investors take advantage of what might be the opportunity of a lifetime. Know your options. Since not all investment properties are the same, it’s important to determine what type of property fits your strategy, says Harrison Merrill, chief executive officer of Merrill Trust Group, a real-estate investment company based in Atlanta. Do you want to become a landlord, or would you rather restore and resell properties? Are you interested in apartment buildings and other commercial real estate, or in buying land that can be developed? First-time realestate investors may want to start with residential housing, since commercial real estate and land development still face challenging market conditions, Merrill says. Partner with experience. First-time investors should find a real-estate agent experienced in investment property deals who can help you locate promising properties. “Look for relational brokers who expect to do business with you again and therefore are going to be much more careful with what they recommend,” Merrill says. A second option is to collaborate with a more experienced real-estate investor and close a deal together. In this economy, an experienced realestate investor may be willing to work with you in exchange for the capital you can provide, giving you the opportunity to glean investment knowledge and experience firsthand, Merrill says. Even if you don’t collaborate with other real-estate investors, talk to them about pitfalls they’ve experienced. “Go down to the general district court in your area and listen to some landlord/tenant cases so you can get a sense of what kind of
60
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
challenges landlords face,” says Jeffrey Taylor, author of “The Landlord’s Kit.” Look for the right location. If you buy a property with hopes of renting it out, location is key. Homes in high-rent or highly populated areas are ideal; stay away from rural areas where there are fewer people and a small pool of potential renters, Sjolin suggests. Also, look for homes with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms in neighborhoods that have a low crime rate. “Renters gravitate to a safe neighborhood, and if they have kids, they will want a good school district,” Sjolin says. Also think about potential selling points for your property. If it’s near public transportation, shopping malls or other amenities, it will attract renters, as well as potential buyers if you decide to sell later. The more you have to offer, the more likely you are to please potential renters, Sjolin says. Have capital lined up. Speak to potential lenders or even a financial planner about whether you have enough assets to handle the ups and downs that could come with investing. Even if you plan to rent out the property, count on paying the mortgage whenever there’s a vacancy. “If you can have about six months of mortgage payments saved up, it’s there if you need it, and you can use that money for repairs,” Sjolin says. Even if you’re planning to fix up a home and sell it, you may end up holding onto it for several months in the current market, Sjolin adds. Build a supporting cast. Don’t wait until a rental property needs repairs to find someone to handle them. “Line up maintenance individuals who can take care of the different challenges that occur so you can simply call the person when a particular issue comes up,” Taylor says. Other sources you may want to have relationships with are an attorney to consult with on tenant issues, a property management firm to handle the day-to-day rental affairs and an accountant to help you understand the tax ramifications of investing. The more support you have, the better you will be able to handle the problems that come your way. Whatever you do, understand that buying investment property is an entirely different experience than buying your primary residence. “When you go to buy your own home, you usually have emotions in it,” Sjolin says. “When you go to buy an investment property, you need to put all that aside and ask, ‘What makes sense?’” EMM
5 real estate rules you shouldn’t break CONSIDER THESE BEST PRACTICES AND PROVEN PRECEPTS IF YOU WANT TO LAND YOUR NEXT HOME.
Like the national pastime, purchasing a home supposedly comes with its own set of “unwritten rules.” Conventional wisdom and considered opinion have long led consumers to believe you never make an offer on the first home you tour, or you always close at the month’s end. The reality is the only rules you have to follow relate to mortgage fraud (one might regard them more as federal statutes than rules). Homebuyers and real estate agents routinely flout common “Never this or that” industry truisms when the need arises. But make no mistake. While there aren’t hardcore “rules” to follow, there are absolutely best practices and proven precepts that you should carefully consider. Here’s a look at five big ones. Don’t make an offer without pre-approval Getting pre-approved means a lender has vetted your credit and financials and is so far willing to continue the mortgage dance. Pre-approval letters detail your purchasing power and provide sellers and real estate agents a degree of confidence they won’t get anywhere else. “I don’t accept an offer without a preapproval letter,” said Bill Gassett, a realtor in Franklin, Mass., with RE/MAX Executive Realty. “People are more cognizant of how important it is to have a qualified buyer. Without an actual pre-approval, you’re really gambling.” The chicken-or-egg debate will rage on regarding whether to talk first with a real estate agent or lender. Either way, you may not want to start touring homes or making offers without a pre-approval letter in hand.
1
2
2. Use a real estate agent For many consumers, buying a home is the single biggest purchase they’ll ever make. It’s something you’ll do maybe a handful of times. It can pay to have an expert in your corner. Real estate agents show homes, negotiate contracts and close deals every month. They can help identify red flags and potential problems, all the while working to best match up properties to your unique needs. The Internet has certainly helped demystify and democratize the homebuying process. But consumers may still want an industry professional on their side. Nearly 90% of homebuyers use a real estate agent or a broker, according to
the National Association of Realtors. 3. Put down earnest money It’s customary, if not legally required, to provide a deposit when you make an offer on a home. Known as earnest money, this deposit is typically 1-2% of the purchase price, although the amount can vary by location and other factors. Consult with your real estate agent regarding the right amount, and quibble if you dare. Earnest money follows in line with loan preapproval – it’s another way to show a seller you’re a serious, legitimate homebuyer. Be sure your agent includes contingencies in the sales contract that allow you to recoup the deposit in case the deal falls apart. Common reasons include a bad appraisal, inspection issues or your inability to sell your current home.
3
4. Sell yourself Don’t just submit a solid offer and cross your fingers if you’re shopping in a competitive real estate market. Take every opportunity you get to tell your story and sell yourself. Include a handwritten letter with your offer. Ask your real estate agent to convey your admiration for the property and your hopes and dreams to the listing agent. “If you really want a property in a competitive environment or you need some special conditions, the personal touch still works,” said Brian Icenhower, CEO of Keller Williams Realty Kansas City North and national real estate trainer. “Sellers don’t always just want to get the most proceeds out of their house. Certain types of sellers want to know this is going to a good family.”
4 5
5. Tour homes in person Mobile video technologies like Google Glass are ushering in a new era for home tours. Cool tech and new apps can be a huge help for consumers moving to new states or service members purchasing homes during a deployment.
These tools will continue to supplement the shopping experience. But nothing quite compares to the inperson experience, Gassett said. “People will use them to enhance what they’re already doing,” he said. “There’s never going to be anything that will completely replace the touch and feel of going to a house.”
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
61
HOW LIFE INSURANCE
works
Life Insurance is the key to good financial planning. On one hand, it safeguards your money and on the other, ensures its growth, thus providing you with complete financial well being. Life Insurance can be termed as an agreement between the policy owner and the insurer, where the insurer for a consideration agrees to pay a sum of money upon the occurrence of the insured individual’s or individuals’ death or other event, such as terminal illness, critical illness or maturity of the policy. Life insurance plans, unlike mutual funds, are beneficial when you look at them as a long term avenue of investment which also offers protection through life cover. Life insurance policies are broadly categorized into 2 types; Traditional Plans and Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs).
•
• Life Insurance provides the dual benefits of savings and security. The following benefits explain why this investment tool should be an integral part of your financial plans. ADVANTAGES OF LIFE INSURANCE
•
• Risk Cover - Life today is full of uncertainties; in this scenario Life Insurance ensures that your loved ones continue to enjoy a good quality of life against any unforeseen event. • Planning for life stage needs - Life Insurance not only provides for financial support in the event of untimely death but also acts as a long term investment. You can meet •
•
•
•
• •
62
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
your goals, be it your children’s education, their marriage, building your dream home or planning a relaxed retired life, according to your life stage and risk appetite. Traditional life insurance policies i.e. traditional endowment plans, offer in-built guarantees and defined maturity benefits through variety of product options such as Money Back, Guaranteed Cash Values, Guaranteed Maturity Values. Protection against rising health expenses - Life Insurers through riders or stand alone health insurance plans offer the benefits of protection against critical diseases and hospitalization expenses. This benefit has assumed critical importance given the increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases and escalating medical costs. Builds the habit of thrift - Life Insurance is a long-term contract where as policyholder, you have to pay a fixed amount at a defined periodicity. This builds the habit of long-term savings. Regular savings over a long period ensures that a decent corpus is built to meet financial needs at various life stages. Safe and profitable long-term investment - Life Insurance is a highly regulated sector. IRDA, the regulatory body, through various rules and regulations ensures that the safety of the policyholder’s money is the primary responsibility of all stakeholders. Life Insurance being a long-term savings instrument, also ensures that the life insurers focus on returns over a long-term and do not take risky investment decisions for short term gains. Assured income through annuities - Life Insurance is one of the best instruments for retirement planning. The money saved during the earning life span is utilized to provide a steady source of income during the retired phase of life. Protection plus savings over a long term - Since traditional policies are viewed both by the distributors as well as the customers as a long term commitment; these policies help the policyholders meet the dual need of protection and long term wealth creation efficiently. Growth through dividends - Traditional policies offer an opportunity to participate in the economic growth without taking the investment risk. The investment income is distributed among the policyholders through annual announcement of dividends/bonus. Facility of loans without affecting the policy benefits Policyholders have the option of taking loan against the policy. This helps you meet your unplanned life stage needs without adversely affecting the benefits of the policy they have bought. Tax Benefits-Insurance plans provide attractive tax-benefits for both at the time of entry and exit under most of the plans. Mortgage Redemption- Insurance acts as an effective tool to cover mortgages and loans taken by the policyholders so that, in case of any unforeseen event, the burden of repayment does not fall on the bereaved family. EMM
R
S
Ca Co
Rent A Car
Saloon Cars, 4x4s, Buses, Pickups, Trucks And Others Are Available.
Car Rental and Leasing Services for all occasions Contact: +233 0268 607 555 | Email: clemoksolutions@yahoo.com | Location: Lamb street - Asylum down
A TE M C ES HO & LO G G A Y D , G ET S G
A ‘DARK’ SIDE OF TECHNOLOGY EXPOSED
By Thomas Cheshire,
Technology Correspondent
A SKY NEWS INVESTIGATION FINDS THAT ALMOST HALF THE 89,000 VEHICLES BROKEN INTO IN LONDON LAST YEAR WERE HACKED ELECTRONICALLY.
T
ens of thousands of cars are being stolen or broken into every year by thieves using electronic hacking equipment, a Sky News investigation has found. Last year half of all car thefts and vehicle break-ins in London alone were carried out without the use of force, according to the Metropolitan Police. Instead criminals are believed to have used hi-tech devices originally designed for locksmiths to gain access to vehicles. Commonly, the thieves use easily obtainable equipment that can intercept the signals from key fobs to get into cars or that plug into a car’s on-board computers remotely. Modern cars contain about 50 lowpowered computers which criminals have learnt to take advantage of to steal vehicles in as little as 10 seconds without causing any damage. Sky News has established that the devices can be bought cheaply online,
64
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
from websites based mainly in Bulgaria. Video tutorials posted online can teach criminals how to gain access to popular models. By Thomas Cheshire, Technology Correspondent Tens of thousands of cars are being stolen or broken into every year by thieves using electronic hacking equipment, a Sky News investigation has found. Last year half of all car thefts and vehicle break-ins in London alone were carried out without the use of force, according to the Metropolitan Police. Instead criminals are believed to have used hi-tech devices originally designed for locksmiths to gain access to vehicles. Commonly, the thieves use easily obtainable equipment that can intercept the signals from key fobs to get into cars or that plug into a car’s on-board computers remotely. Modern cars contain about 50 lowpowered computers which criminals have learnt to take advantage of to steal vehicles in as little as 10 seconds without causing any damage. Sky News has established that the devices can be bought cheaply online, from websites based mainly in Bulgaria. Video tutorials posted online can teach criminals how to gain access to popular models. The problem was first exposed several years ago in certain models. But now police are warning that all modern makes are potentially vulnerable. And for the first time, the Met has disclosed the growing nature of the threat. About 21,000 cars were stolen in the capital last year, according to the latest figures. A further 68,000 were broken into.
ISSUE #006 | 2014
“Recent analysis of crime data suggests that almost half the total number of vehicles stolen in London are taken using this method, which can affect all manufacturers,” the force said in a statement to Sky News. “High-end vehicles are becoming more and more sophisticated. In turn so are criminals. “Some organised criminals have access to technology that avoids the need to (physically break in). Vehicles are becoming more technologically advanced and the criminals are becoming more savvy towards that technology and they will develop.” The Met said it was working with manufacturers to protect drivers from having their cars stolen or broken into. Car crime has fallen in recent years as manufacturers create even more secure vehicles. But in countries closer to Bulgaria, like Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, the crime rate has started to rise after years of decrease. “We have every reason to believe that other European countries will be following suit this year and next,” Mike Parris, head of the secure car division at SBD security, told Sky News. “It is getting worse,” he added. “The tools are becoming much more readily available. The price of them is falling. And they’re operating much more quickly - you can re-program a key in a matter of seconds. “All vehicle manufacturers are aware of the problem. It’s fair to say some are doing more than others. “Car manufacturers are acutely aware of the need to constantly make their vehicles more secure because they know criminals will adapt and develop.” The Met advises car owners to leave their cars in well-lit areas, to consider using steering, gear shift and pedal locks, as well as tracking devices. One website found to be selling the devices did not respond to a request to comment from Sky News. Its homepage says: “All devices are sold for official use only!!! If you use them for any illegal purposes, this is your own responsibility!!!”
the google glasses
By Brian Voo
I’m sure by now, most of us have heard of the potential Google Glass has. In the video you see a few people going through everyday routines while others put it on for more extreme stuff like skydiving. On their head, is the wearable gadget that gives you the first-person’s view of the experience, made possible by you guessed it, Google Glass. While Google Glass is still currently a developer’s toy, who has the time to wait until it becomes an item for the masses? So we did a little digging, got our fingers dirty and found 10 things you can expect from this high-tech eyewear. We’ll talk about its hardware, what it’s capable of doing and how it’ll do it. Be prepared for the future as you might see many people wearing the Google Glass when it’s released. 1. Tiny (But Powerful) Hardware
It’s amazing how the Project Glass team has managed to squeeze all of its features into a tiny ‘computer’ supported on a lightweight yet strong frame. Google Glass is packed with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, speakers, a camera, microphone, touchpad and possibly a gyroscope that detects head-tilts. Then there’s the main piece, a tiny screen the size of your finger, that shows you all the information you need at your finger tips. You can tell by the prototype that the design and engineering team have done a great job cramping everything into the current Glass design: a wearable, nonintrusive gadget that doesn’t get in the way of daily life.
2. Heed My Command!
Well, all that hardware is put to good use: Google Glass has voice input, which makes everything a lot more interesting. The built-in microphone combined with Google Now connects you directly to the search engine. You activate Google Now by saying “Okay Glass” then send a command or question. Tilting your head up does the same thing. You can take a photo or record a video, all by just saying the command for it – more on that, later. On the right, is a touchpad where you can swipe through, to get to menus; tapping, registers your selection
3. Life Pauses for No One
Google Glass users can now live in the moment, and keep that memory in pictures or videos. No more foraging around for a camera, tuning the settings of your photo apps, and letting the moment go by without a single snap. Just say, “Take a Photo” and your view at the moment is captured, hands-free. Imagine the possibiltiies. Other than photos, you can do the same with videos, which spells opportunities for extreme sports, real-life tutorials and more. Of course, picture quality coming from a device this small would not be comparable to a DSLR camera, but oftentimes, you’d rather not lose out on the moment.
4. Always On Call, Literally
With Glass being able to record videos, it can also act as a webcam with the data connection from your home or smartphone. You can use Google Hangout for a group conference, and still do what you need to do without being confined to a desk.
5. Never Get Lost Again
Since it’s built with a GPS chip, it’ll be able to help you navigate, with help from Google Maps. This will take away the need to look down at your smartphone and it will be especially handy when you are driving, when you’re walking through crowded streets or when you’re hiking through the countryside.
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
65
GLASSES HELP
SURGEONS
SEE CANCER CELLS New high-tech glasses were used for the first time last week to assist surgeons in the removal of a cancerous tumour from a patient. New high-tech glasses were used for the first time last week to assist surgeons in the removal of a cancerous tumour from a patient. The glasses, which remain unnamed as of yet, were developed at Washington University School of Medicine and can help surgeons visualise cancer cells as they operate. The surgery to remove breast cancer cells from a patient took place at the Siteman Cancer Centre at BarnesJewish hospital on February 10th. The innovative tech incorporates custom video technology, a head mounted display and a targeted molecular agent that attaches itself to cancer cells. Cancer cells are
66
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
notoriously difficult to see, even under a microscope. When viewed through the glasses, the cancer cells glow blue making it easy for surgeons to identify them – up to 1mm small. Being able to distinguish between healthy tissue and cancerous cells allows surgeons to remove more of the tumour while leaving most of the healthy cells intact. The technology is likely to reduce the number of surgeries needed by patients as well as the damage done to healthy tissue. “We’re in the early stages of this technology, and more development and testing will be done, but we’re certainly encouraged by the potential benefits to patients,” said breast surgeon Julie Margenthaler, MD, an associate professor of surgery at Washington University, who performed
ISSUE #006 | 2014
the operation. “Imagine what it would mean if these glasses eliminated the need for follow-up surgery and the associated pain, inconvenience and anxiety.” “Our hope is that this new technology will reduce or ideally eliminate the need for a second surgery,” she said. The molecular agent was developed in a pilot study on lab mice in which a green contrast agent was injected into tumours, which then glowed green under special lights. The agent being developed for use in humans is awaiting FDA approval but it promises to stay longer and specifically target cancer cells. MD Ryan Fields, a Washington University assistant professor of surgery and Siteman surgeon, is planning to incorporate the glasses into his future operations. He said he welcomes the new technology, which theoretically could be used to visualize any type of cancer. “A limitation of surgery is that it’s not always clear to the naked eye the distinction between normal tissue and cancerous tissue,” Fields said. “With the glasses developed by Dr Achilefu, we can better identify the tissue that must be removed.” EMM
Products for your Home & Laundry Needs GS SPECIALTY CHEMICALS, has developed Innovative cleaning products by basing ourselves on the features demanded by our leading industrial companies, we have created innovative, turn-key, user-friendly cleaning solutions that are now available to our ever growing clientele base.
Proudly made in Ghana cleaning products.
- pre WASHER LIQUID stain remover - NEUTRA DETERGENT - NITRO+ - FABRIC SOFTENER
Call: 0244 84 13 50 or 0244 56 18 27 for expert advice e-mail : gesusol@gmail.com / info@gschemicals-gh.com
w w w. g s c h e m i c a l s - g h . c o m
CU A RR FF E A N IR T S
IS AFRICA BECOMING THE NEW TERRORISM HUB? Source:BBC
The head of the UN drugs agency (UNODC) has warned that widespread drug trafficking is transforming Africa into a major crime hub. Antonio Maria Costa said huge amounts of heroin and cocaine were being traded by “terrorists and anti-government forces” to fund their operations. He called for a trans-Saharan network to be set up to tackle criminal groups. Last month the wreckage of a Boeing 727 was found in Mali with up to 10 tonnes of cocaine from Venezuela on board. “It is scary that this new example of the links between drugs, crime and terrorism was discovered by chance,” Mr Costa told the UN Security Council. He said 50 to 60 tonnes of cocaine were trafficked every year across West Africa while another 30 to 35 tonnes of Afghan heroin was being trafficked into East Africa every year.
Africa drug trade fuelling terrorism and crime, says UN.
Rising addiction
He said the drug streams were crossing in the Sahel - an arid area extending across northern Africa, just south of the Sahara, where militant groups such as the north African branch of alQaeda operate. “Drugs not only enrich organised crime... terrorists and antigovernment forces in the Sahel extract resources from the drug trade to fund their operations, purchase equipment and pay foot-soldiers,” he said.
68
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
He said the flow of drugs through East Africa was being facilitated by Somalia’s collapse, and in West Africa GuineaBissau was becoming a trafficking hub. He also warned that the continent was seeing “a dramatic increase in drug addiction”, which was helping to spread Aids. Mr Costa called for African countries to share information more effectively and create a trans-Saharan crime monitoring network. Alfred McCoy, an expert in the international drug trade, told the BBC’s World Today programme such an approach was unlikely to work. “One has to be pessimistic about the capacity of enforcement to contain a global commodity,” he said. “The problem is not the traffickers or the traffic, the problem is the whole drug war - we’re brining the blunt baton of repression down on a global commodity and the results have generally been negative.” For his part, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said drug trafficking was also affecting peacekeeping efforts in Afghanistan, Haiti, Guinea-Bissau and elsewhere. “So far, co-operation between governments is lagging behind cooperation between organised crime networks,” Mr Ban said. The UN Security Council adopted a statement voicing concern about the impact of the African narcotics trade and calling for stronger regional co-operation in the fight against illegal drugs.
ISSUE #006 | 2014
Six Places At Risk Of Terrorism In Africa By John Nugent
John Nugent is an analyst with Control Risks and a regular contributor to Control Risks’ Terrorism Monthly report.
Terrorist threats in Africa have diversified and become more severe in recent years. Here is a risk forecast of six hotspots to watch in the months ahead. East Africa
Terrorism in East Africa is likely to disproportionately affect Somalia and Kenya in the coming months, though neighboring countries contributing to the African Union Mission in Somalia and Ethiopia also face an elevated threat. Advances against al-Shabab in Somalia have slowed considerably over the past year as African Union forces became increasingly overstretched. A temporary increase in troop numbers will provide some relief in the short term, but is unlikely to limit al-Shabab’s ability to stage further attacks. Al-Shabab’s primary focus under its leader Ahmed Godane is likely to remain on Somalia. However, as demonstrated by last year’s attack on the Westgate shopping center in Nairobi, the group is willing to launch operations elsewhere in the region if they are deemed to serve the goal of overthrowing the Somali government, chiefly by undercutting neighboring countries commitment to the sustained provision of military assistance. Al-Shabab has a strong support network in Kenya, and small-scale attacks in Nairobi, Mombasa and along the Somali border are likely to continue. There is little to suggest this threat will be mitigated in the near future.
The Sahel
Africa’s Sahel region remains at risk for high-profile terrorist attacks in the near future. The drawdown of French troops in northern Mali is likely to prompt a resurgence in militant attacks and kidnappings in both Mali and the wider SahelSahara region. These could potentially stretch into new areas, most notably in Chad. The fragmentation of the local al-Qaida affiliate, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), does not signal a weakening of the group’s capabilities. The organization’s lack of cohesion probably has less to do with the arrest or killing of commanders and more to do with the growing ambitions of local Islamist extremists tied to the organization’s southern wing in the Sahel to disentangle themselves from the group’s Algerian leadership in the northeast of that country. French counterterrorism operations in Mali will not eliminate the risk of attacks, particularly in desert areas.
Nigeria
Sustained military operations in northern Nigeria have restricted the ability of Islamist extremist groups Boko Haram and Ansaru to operate with the same levels of impunity that they once enjoyed. Attacks have become increasingly concentrated in historic hotspots, notably in remote parts of Nigeria’s Borno and Yobe states and around the city of Kano. However, the build-up to the 2015 election cycle is likely to prompt a spike in violence as militant groups receive
increased funding and look to influence domestic politics with their activity. The incentives to carry out high-profile attacks will grow, raising the risk of isolated attacks in the capital Abuja. However, security forces will likely prevent sustained violence outside the main militant strongholds in the northeast.
Egypt
Militant attacks targeting the government, police and military are likely to occur with greater frequency and across a broader geographic area, including further high-profile operations in the capital Cairo. The now-banned Muslim Brotherhood has condemned violence and urged peaceful protests and civil disobedience, yet the country’s polarized political situation increases the likelihood that disaffected supporters of the party will turn to militancy. Jihadist groups have been waging an insurgency against police and the armed forces in the North Sinai since 2011. That insurgency provides a standing militant infrastructure for attacks elsewhere. Most targets will probably be political or governmental, but civilians, Christian sites and commercial assets face an elevated risk in the months ahead.
Tunisia
The political crisis following the assassination of a secular politician last July precipitated a marked uptick in militant attacks. Since then, militants have increased their use of suicide bombs and sought to target tourist areas frequented by Westerners. This is likely a reflection, in part, of growing polarization between Islamists and secularists in the political arena. In the months ahead, terrorism in Tunisia will likely be linked closely to political developments; should Islamist groups feel marginalized by the political process, the tempo of attacks will increase. Elements of the al-Qaida network will seek to influence events in Tunisia as well as the other democratizing nations of North Africa – Libya and Egypt; providing guidance, funding and operational assistance to nascent jihadist factions.
Libya
Most militant attacks in Libya have taken place in the northeast and focused on domestic targets, though others, most notably the September 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, have also been directed against diplomatic and humanitarian assets. Since the middle of last year, civilian and Western commercial interests have come under increasing attack. A broad range of groups are capable of carrying out such attacks, and militancy in Libya is not solely the province of Islamists such as the State Department-blacklisted Ansar al-Sharia collectives. In addition, a host of domestic actors: tribes, minority groups and members of security forces all have the potential to carry out attacks in an attempt to influence Libya’s ongoing political transition. EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
69
N HE & UTR ALT FI IT H TN IO , ES N S
3
Top
diseases that affect men & possible
TREATMENTS Staying healthy is simpler Prostate Cancer cancer forms when cells in the than ever before due to the use Prostate body begin to reproduce rapidly at an of modern medical technology uncontrolled rate. The additional cells a growth or tumor, and prostate and treatments, but there are form cancer occurs when a cancerous tumor a number of things men can do forms in the prostate, a gland in male system. In the early stages on a daily basis to maintain reproductive of prostate cancer, the tumor needs health, increase energy, and testosterone, the male hormone, in order thrive. The cancer is a slow-growing reduce stress. Of course, todisease, and rarely affects men under the there are diseases that men age of 40; however, it is important to make to diet and exercise plans early are more at risk for, and it’s changes in life to prevent the onset of prostate important to keep this in mind cancer later, since cancer cells can also away from the original tumor in when selecting a diet, exercise break the prostate and spread to other organs program, or even medication. in the body. aren’t exactly sure what causes Here are three of the most Doctors prostate cancer, but age is definitely a common diseases affecting risk factor. 75% of men diagnosed with cancer are age 65 or older, and men, along with symptoms and prostate the average age of diagnosis is 70. Africanpossible methods of prevention. American men are also at greater risk 70
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
for prostate cancer; the disease is least common in Asian and Native American men. The disease may also be genetic; a man’s chances of developing prostate cancer are increased if his father or brother had the disease. Lack of exercise, excessive drinking, and smoking are all factors that could make a man more at risk for the disease as well. Of course, as with most cancers, diet can play a large role in prevention. Men that consume diets high in animal fat tend to be more at risk for prostate cancer, so a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is recommended. It is also important to consume foods rich in lycopene, a substance found in tomatoes that can also improve vision. This has been proven to reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men of all ages. It is rather difficult to diagnose prostate cancer in its early stages, since there are usually no obvious symptoms. However, the need to urinate frequently, especially in the middle of the night, could be a sign of prostate cancer if it persists for weeks. A burning sensation when urinating could
also be a sign of prostate cancer. Pain in the upper thighs, hips, and/or lower back could also be a symptom, so it’s important for men to pay special attention to how their body feels after performing regular duties like going to work or exercising at a regular pace, since additional pain in these areas of the body could be an indication of prostate cancer. However, many of these symptoms could just be due to the enlargement of the prostate, and not the cancer itself, but could serve as warning signs to make major lifestyle changes in order to prevent the disease. Treatments for prostate cancer include hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, or surgery. Since each man’s body is different, it’s important to talk to the doctor about the best ways to treat prostate cancer, as well as ongoing treatment options after surgery.
Liver Disease/Cancer Liver cancer is more likely to occur in men because men tend to drink and smoke more. Men are twice as likely to develop liver cancer than women, and the cancer is expected to affect approximately 17,550 cases of liver disease or cancer will be reported in the United States during 2005. The liver is the largest organ in the body, and helps the body to fight off infections and process nutrients. The liver also produces clotting factors that help the blood to clot properly after a cut or injury. Since the liver contains a number of cells because of its many functions, many types of cancers or tumors can contaminate it. Some of these tumors are benign or non-cancerous, but could still be a warning to take extra care of the liver in the future. Benign tumors include hepatic adenomas, which are tumors that derive from the main type of liver cell, the hepatocyte. In most cases, these tumors do not cause any discomfort or pain, but should be removed if stomach pain or blood loss begins to occur. Hemangioma, another benign tumor, is the most common type of non-cancerous tumor and starts in the blood vessels. Again, this tumor may not always cause pain, but will sometimes need to be surgically removed if excessive bleeding occurs.
Malignant or cancerous tumors are obviously more of a health concern, but can be prevented and even treated effectively. The most common form of liver cancer in adults is hepatocellular carcinoma. This type of cancer begins in the hepatocytes, and three out of four cases of liver cancer are hepatocellular carcinoma. In most cases, this disease begins in one part of the liver and takes different growth patterns, and in later stages of the cancer development, the cancer will spread to other parts of the liver, and even other body parts. Excessive use of alcohol and tobacco are among the main causes for liver cancer, since cirrhosis, or scarring of the tissue of the liver occurs as a result of alcohol abuse. Men who struggle with hepatitis are also at great risk for liver cancer, since hepatitis weakens the liver and makes it much easier for cancer to form. Men are also more at risk for liver cancer because of the use of anabolic steroids, which many athletes use to increase their athletic performance. Currently, the only proven effective ways to eliminate liver cancer is to have surgery to remove the tumor, or to receive a liver transplant. If the surgeon removes all visible cancer at the time of surgery, the chances for survival are greater, and the risk of developing the cancer again is significantly reduced. For the most part, complete removal for most liver cancers isn’t possible, and most people with cirrhosis of the liver can not have surgery since the liver is too severely damaged. Radiation therapy or ablation (destroying the tumor without removing it) are also possible treatment options for liver cancer; however, it is best to have a doctor assess the stage of cancer to suggestion a proper treatment option. One of the best ways for men to reduce the risk of developing liver cancer is to be vaccinated for hepatitis B and C, since there is no cure for this infection, and is one of the major factors that can lead to liver cancer. Significantly reducing alcohol intake and eliminating smoking are also very effective ways to prevent liver cancer. There are also a number of foods that can help to reduce the risk of liver disease in men. Any foods with natural
antioxidant properties, like fruits and vegetables (i.e. leafy green vegetables, citrus fruit, beets and gourd fruits like melon and papaya), especially those high in Vitamins C and E, and a diet rich in fiber will help the body to effectively fight off infection and will keep bile secretions regular.
High blood pressure or hypertension Men are not necessarily at higher risk for high blood pressure; however, due to factors like stress on the job or lack of sleep, hypertension affects a significant amount of men each year. Men may also be more at risk for hypertension due to excessive smoking and drinking and extremely high cholesterol levels. Diabetes is also a another factor that can raise blood pressure, so men with diabetes are encouraged to pay special attention to diet and make sure to take insulin on time each day. Blood pressure is medically defined as the force in the arteries when the heart beats, which is systolic pressure, and when the heart is at rests, which is diastolic pressure. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). High blood pressure occurs when an individual has greater than 140 mmHg systolic pressure or 90mmHg diastolic pressure. High blood pressure can increase the risk of strokes and coronary heart disease, which is why it is important to treat hypertension as early as possible. There are no specific ways to detect high blood pressure, other than to have blood pressure tested regularly. However, consuming foods that are low in fat and cholesterol will help to reduce the risk of hypertension and lower blood pressure. Reducing the intake of foods high in salt will also lower blood pressure. Only about 6 teaspoons of salt should be consumed per day, so it’s important to read food labels and seasonings before purchasing them. Taking time to be physically active each day will keep blood flow in the body regular as well; it’s best to try to take a walk after dinner to aid in digestion, or to run in the morning to increase blood flow. EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
71
ASABA; THE BERRY THAT MAKES EVERYTHING SWEET Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Moms’ Health Club (dressel@healthclubsgh.com)
Dr Essel is a medical doctor and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition.
G
hanaians have always been addicted to football and over the years the only thing that has changed about our passion for the game of football is our new found romance with football cooked in other countries. We would even go to bed on an empty stomach when Asante Kotoko our favorite club lost a game. Over 30 years ago we played counters ball and gutterto-gutter with socks ball; anyone who has played socks ball before will tell you the menace associated with playing this game close to a well endowed gutter. This was the time when GBC television had no competition and FM stations had not seen the light of day. At this time we only watched German Football on TV. This was the era when Asaba the miracle berry was common in Ghana. One of the homes where we played football had a huge asaba plant and many people benefited from eating asaba and porridge without the thought of adding sugar. Fast-forward to 2013 and it seems the western world has recognized the benefits of asaba and is fast cashing in on it while we relegate it to the background and continue to import high calorie-zero nutrient refined sugar to the detriment of our health. This is a plant that originated from West Africa yet we have rejected it like many others. A few months ago I read about people cultivating Asaba in the Western region who were pleading for assistance to produce and market the product. It is about time we took another look at the miracle berry which has now been processed into tablet form in some countries. Asaba is a small red fruit that contains a chemical that affects taste receptors in the tongue. It makes the tongue register sour taste as sweet taste. In addition to
72
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
making everything taste sweet, it is a very low calorie fruit and its effect on the tongue may last up to an hour. One whole hour of bliss. As with many other plant products we need to do more work on dosing and sideeffects when taken in excess but in many scenarios it may provide the miracle that its name suggests.
the terrible taste. Make medicine time enjoyable for kids with a little asaba. You will however need to be extra cautious here since children may associate that medicine with a great taste and reach out for it on their own. As always keep medicines out of the reach of children.
• Managing Diabetes
Some illnesses such as malaria, reflux disease, depression etc may be associated with a “bitter” taste in the mouth and hence we avoid food to our detriment. The miracle berry taken in moderation can make this a thing of the past. Enjoy your meals, take the appropriate dose of your medication and get well quickly. Asaba may be helpful to people who want to reduce their consumption of sugar and improve their lifestyle by making their diet healthier. Join the campaign to make asaba a common product in our shops and markets. Can asaba like cocoa become a cash crop? Asaba may not be a super food but it can serve as a vital component of a healthy lifestyle.
• Role in Chemotherapy
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
• Weight Control
This product can make sugar-free desserts, tea, bitter cocoa and other beverages taste excellent. That is a step in the right direction to managing your weight.
Asaba may not lower your blood sugar directly but it is helpful in eliminating high-calorie sweeteners and sugar from your diet that in the long run will be of benefit. Children with diabetes for instance who crave for sweetness could seek refuge in Asaba. The watch word here is “moderation” at all times.
You may know about the taste disturbances that may be associated with the treatment of cancer. Asaba may come to the rescue here since it will make food taste sweet and help avoid starvation and weight loss that often go hand in hand with cancer and its management.
• Managing Illnesses
We all remember taking medication especially the syrups when we were much younger; some tasted horrible and how can one get well when you do not take the medication because of
ISSUE #006 | 2014
Thought for the edition – “Bitter Cocoa drink as a major component of your breakfast or dinner may help control your weight. Have a drop of Asaba before drinking and you have a winning combination.” Reference: 1. www.webmd.com 2. Special Mention: Albion Mends who is extremely passionate about Asaba.
EXERCISE ROUTINES AND HOME WORKOUTS FOR MEN
There’s a popular saying that is well known by fitness enthusiasts that goes, “Everyone wants to get jacked, but no one wants to lift these heavy weights!” Simply put, too many people have excuses. Whether you are “too busy”, don’t have time with your work and social schedule, or you’re simply just too lazy. But what people don’t know is that it doesn’t take hours upon hours at the gym to get into shape and have a great physique. The truth of the matter is, there are plenty of home workouts for men that you can do around your house with limited equipment, and only a little bit of space. So if you’re too embarrassed or don’t have enough time to go to the gym, set your alarm 30 minutes earlier each day and check out some of the home workouts on this list to start building a leaner and more muscular you.
The Exercises: Body Squat
If you took a poll of workout enthusiasts, 11 out of 10 would all tell you how much they hate leg days. People want ripped abs and huge arms, so often times leg days are skipped or go forgotten. However, building your legs will create a strong core that will help you have a well-rounded physique. The body squat is simple and easy. You don’t need any weights and it can be done anywhere in your home. To complete this exercise, put your arms behind your head and squat down. Once your legs are at a 90° angle, come back to the starting position. Repeat this form and you will certainly feel the burn in your quads, hamstrings and glutes.
Jumping Jacks
If you thought that your high school gym teacher would make you do jumping jacks just so they had enough time to
finish the last few words on their crossword puzzle, you were probably right. But what you didn’t know is that jumping jacks are a great full body workout. Not only do they work your legs and abdomen, they also help build stamina that is great whether you are exercising in the gym, or spending time with your favorite lady at night. Everyone is familiar with how to do a jumping jack, so stop reading and start jumping!
Burpees
The name ‘burpee’ can be a bit misleading. After all, they are more likely to make you gag than burp, but this is only for the first few times you do them. Burpess is a great all around exercise that will help you work your arms, your legs and everything in between. To perform a burpee, start in a crouched position with your hands just touching the ground just in front of your knees. To start the exercise, kick your feet back and go into a pushup position. Then, go down into a full pushup and come back to upward position. From there, kick your feet back to the original position and jump up (yes, literally get off your feet and jump in the air). Once you land, quickly go back into the crouched position and start the routine over again. Be warned, you will feel this one! But also know that you will notice amazing results once you get this exercise down.
Inverted Judo Pushup
The next exercise to learn is the inverted Judo Pushup. To perform this, start in an upside down ‘V’ position with your legs behind you, your butt in the air and your hands in front of you as if you were doing a pushup. Then move with your head towards the ground, almost as if you were going underneath a fence with only a small opening to clear. Then, come back upwards through your arms and make an ‘L’ shape with your feet and pelvis nearly touching the ground
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
73
and your head directly above your arms with your eyes looking straight ahead. If you played football or wrestling as a kid, or have seen any yoga, this position looks a lot similar to the cobra posture.
The Workout Routine
Mountain climbers are another cardio workout that is meant to be done at a fast pace to help you build stamina and strength. To perform it, start in a pushup position. When you’re ready to begin, bring one knee to your chest and plant your foot (the foot should be around your pelvis area to get a good stretch and make this exercise worthwhile). Without stopping, take that leg back to starting position and then bring the other knee to your chest. Alternate legs back and forth and remember, one leg doesn’t count as one set. You have to do both legs for it to count. So really, 20-moves is 10-sets. You better get started now!
Now that you know what do to, the question is, how do you do it? There are many different ways to go about fitness routines and exercises for men. Some people like to focus on certain body parts on certain days of the week. But for the exercises mentioned here, you can do them quickly each and every day, without over-working your muscles. Start off by trying to do 10-reps of each of these exercises and then move on to the next. See how many circuits you can complete in 15 minutes (Note: ‘circuit’ means doing all exercises, and then starting back at the beginning and working your way through the exercises again). As you gain strength and stamina, either do more reps or go for a longer amount of time. Chances are, your first few days your going to be sore. And we mean, can hardly make it to the bathroom sore. But the more you workout and the more dedicated you stay, the easier the exercises will become and the more pleased you will be when you look in the mirror.
Bicycle Crunches
The Final Say On Workouts At Home
Mountain Climbers
Okay, okay, everyone wants 6-pack abs and you’ve probably been wondering when we’d talk about abdominal exercises. The truth is, any of the exercises mentioned above will help you build your core and start working towards the stomach you desire. But if you insist on loading your workout with abdominal workouts, a great one to do is bicycle crunches. To do this exercise, start on your back with your arms at 90° angles next to your torso. From there rise up to a sit-up position. As you come up, lift your right knee towards your torso and rotate your abdomen to touch the knee with your left elbow. Return to the starting position and then switch sides. Just like mountain climbers, two legs equal one rep. After you do both of these moves, you can count that as one rep and complete 9 more.
74
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
Before you begin these at-home workouts, understand that you won’t look like an extra from the movie 300 with only a few days of training. But if you keep up with these exercises, add more reps and time, and watch your diet throughout the day, you can begin to tone and sculpt your body in a way that you’ve always dreamt of. You don’t need any fancy machines or hundreds of pounds of weight. You just need motivation and dedication to get it done. Now get off the computer and start working towards a better you and stay on top. EMM
W O W M O EN RL ’S D
The
dark cosmetic surgery side of
Two recent deaths of prominent Latinas have highlighted the very real risks of plastic surgery. Betty Pino, a Miami radio personality died a few months ago after complications from silicon implant removal from her buttocks. In 2009, former Miss Argentina, Solange Magnano, mother of two, died in Buenos Aires under similar circumstances. Although cosmetic surgery can seem as the easiest route to improve your appearance, there are very real risks and limitations to cosmetic surgery. However, fear of complications has not stopped most people from getting a cosmetic procedure. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, 10 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States in 2012 alone at a cost of almost 11 billion dollars. Latinos accounted for 8% of the total of all plastic surgeries. Cosmetic operations on the buttocks have risen by 114% since the year 2000. That number is even more revealing when one considers that the vast majority of these procedures are paid for out of pocket with little to no insurance coverage. One more interesting statistic is that only 15% of cosmetic procedures are done in a hospital, as most are performed in office facilities or freestanding surgical centers. Given the sheer number of procedures performed in various settings, it is not surprising that complications occur. Moreover, when things go wrong with plastic surgery, there can be severe disfigurement or even death, as evidenced by the cases of Betty Pino or Solange Magnano. So what are the complications of cosmetic surgery? First it is important to remember, that any surgical procedure carries risk. Those who have underlying medical conditions such as lung disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or obesity as well as smokers are at a higher risk of developing complications. Possible complications of plastic surgery include: • Complications related to anesthesia, include pneumonia, blood clots and rarely death. • Infection at the incision site, which could worsen scarring and not only require antibiotic therapy but additional surgery. • Fluid build-up under the skin. • Mild bleeding requiring another procedure or bleeding that is significant enough that you necessitating blood transfusion. • Obvious scarring or skin breakdown which occurs when
76
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
healing skin separates from healthy skin and must be removed surgically. • Numbness and tingling from nerve damage which could be permanent. According to MayoClinic.com, an individual is a good candidate for plastic surgery if they have realistic expectations about what can be accomplished. You have to anticipate improvement, not perfection – and know that “an operation will not save your relationship, get you a promotion, or improve your social life.” If you are considering cosmetic surgery, ask yourself these questions: • Will this procedure really improve my quality of life? • What is the cost? Most procedures are not covered by most health insurance plans and the price can go from hundreds to thousands of dollars and that does not include follow-up or additional corrective procedures. • What are the risks of complications, and can I live with the risk of those complications? Dissatisfaction is possible after any type of surgery. • What about recovery time? For cosmetic surgery, you might need days, weeks or even months to recover. Understand the physical effects and how it will impact your personal and professional life as well as mental health. Your self esteem might improve after cosmetic surgery, but cosmetic surgery isn’t likely to relieve depression or other mental health conditions. • Is the surgeon board-certified? Make sure that they have legitimate board certification in a specialty such as the American Board of Plastic Surgery or American Board of Facial, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Beware of misleading certifications from unrecognized or selfdesignated boards. If the surgeon is not board certified, seek help elsewhere. • Is the center, hospital or office facility safe? Make sure that the facility is accredited for safety by a major board such as by the Joint Joint Commission for Hospital Accreditation or a State regulatory agency. If it is not, go somewhere else!! Considering these questions could save your life.
HIGH HEELS RISK TO HEALTH OF
Pregnant women
P
regnant women who enjoy dressing up in high heels are putting their feet at risk, an expert has warned. Lorraine Jones, from The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists in UK, said women feel under pressure to wear stilettos but are risking long-term damage, as well as strains to their ankles and ligaments. Furthermore, pregnant women routinely wear other unsuitable footwear, such as flip flops, ballet pumps and Ugg boots, she said. A poll of 1,000 pregnant women for the Society found 66% regularly wear flip flops, 32% wear high heels, 53% ballet pumps and 30% Ugg boots. But Ms Jones said none of these shoes are suitable because they offer little support. ‘Weight gain and hormonal changes in pregnancy have a huge impact on the body,’’ she said. ‘’Muscles and ligaments soften and stretch because of an increase in the ovarian hormone, relaxin, which makes your feet more prone to ankle and ligament strains on a daily basis. ‘’High heels alter your posture, shorten your calf muscles and place increased pressure on your back and knees. ‘’In pregnancy this places extra pressure on your joints when they are already under strain, which can result in a host of foot, leg and back problems and could increase the likelihood of falls. ‘’Shoes like ballet pumps, flip flops and Ugg boots are also unsuitable for daily wear in pregnancy because they don’t provide your feet with the necessary support.’’ The survey of pregnant women found around half feel under pressure to keep up with celebrity trends. Yet seven out of 10 have suffered foot problems in pregnancy including swollen ankles (37%), swollen feet (45%) and foot arch and heel pain (16%). If women must wear high heels, they should only do so very occasionally and at events where they will not be on their feet for too long, Ms Jones said. ‘’Many of the pregnant celebrities you see wearing high heels in magazines are attending events so, like them, try to keep your high heeled, high fashion shoes for a special occasion and stick to a more supportive shoe on a daily basis. ‘’If you’re pregnant, choose well-fitted, round toed and low heeled, comfortable shoes with straps to support the foot and ankle and help minimize discomfort and prevent the prospect of long-term damage. ‘’There are so many different shoes available today that you can still wear fashionable footwear which is supportive and comfortable.’’ The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrist has issued top tips for healthy feet in pregnancy, including: Wear comfortable, supportive footwear, ideally with a strap, laces, or Velcro. Supportive footwear with extra shock absorption, a supportive arch and firm heel is essential. Choose a heel height of 1.2in (3cm) as this shifts weight a little further forward on to the feet, which can help alleviate discomfort. Avoid wearing high heels as this can place unnecessary pressure on joints at a time when they are already under strain. Avoid crossing legs or ankles when sitting. Keep active by keeping the lower limbs moving even when resting. Lying on the back and simulating riding a bike will help muscles in the leg and can reduce swelling. Rotating the ankles can also prevent cramps. Make sure there is 0.4in (1cm) between the longest toe and the end of the shoe.
2014 | ISSUE #006
If you’re pregnant, choose wellfitted, round toed and low heeled, comfortable shoes with straps to support the foot... EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
77
N Sw er s M A
10
Lifestyle Habits
Every Man Should Follow
E
very man is on a constant journey towards a higher fulfillment and a better understanding of himself. No matter what age we may be, as men we seek wisdom and knowledge for a more rewarding lifestyle. We live our lives in a constant stage of development in order to refine our character and reflect upon our values. With the challenges and frustrations in the modern society, we often become distracted away from our true purpose, passion and potential. As we take the path towards becoming superior men we must learn to that in order to reach achievement, continuous hardships must never defeat us. The vagueness of a clear answer to life may demand our minds to wander in the process, but with self-acceptance and habits of good judgment, we can make the experience of life a rewarding one. Presented below are ten lifestyle habits every gentleman should follow through the course of life. These positive principals display the simplistic marvel of taking care of yourself for living a better, happier lifestyle.
Demand respect
Be a gentleman of dignity and honor, and always keep in consideration your true value. Never settle for less than your worth, whether it is with women or while negotiating a pay raise. It might be tempting to sleep with an array of women when you’re younger, but consider the responsibilities that come along as you progress into an older age. Women can be alluring at any age, but ask yourself if she was truly worth, if you had an emotional connection with her, and if perhaps you had considered the possible health risks.
78
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
Seize your spirit
While it’s one thing to understand your value and come to terms with the amount of respect you have for yourself, it’s another to not go after your innermost desires. Always try to find it within yourself to muster up the courage to accomplish what your mind and heart strongly desires, but is too afraid to attempt. Should you see an attractive woman that terrifies your mind in a mysterious manner you cannot understand, approach her with confidence and power. Never let fear prevent you from chasing your true ambition or passion in life. Always be willing to conquer the world and take new leaps of faith when there is nothing supporting you but your soul.
Be present
In order to truly take advantage of the opportunities life throws your way, you must be willing to make observations. Often we become so distracted by the small things in life that don’t matter. Our mind fails to make the connection of what’s really in front of us. You must come to terms with mistakes and the troubles of life and visualize your true successes. Reflect upon your past to get a firm understanding of your failures, but never allow them to take the forefront of your thoughts as regrets. You cannot predict the future, although you can perhaps at times get a sense for it. However, worrying only paints a picture of a bad dream that will never be displayed as a reality tomorrow.
Entrust your loyalty in friendship
Surround yourself among the company of similar gentleman or women who share the same values, morals and positive
principals. Steer clear of friendships with negative outlooks whose true intentions are to keep you at their level. A positive group of guys will support you in both times of trouble and times of success. They will encourage you to grow, and demand that you accept nothing but the best for yourself. Display your loyalty in return and entrust your friends into being a close part of your life. They will make the experience more rewarding, and build a foundation of memories you can cherish.
Be responsible for your own actions
Be willing to accept your mistakes and hold the as your own self-faults. Learn to accept criticism so that you can sculpt a better version of yourself. Never let your past challenges and failures become excuses for blaming others. Instead build a solid foundation in which you can support yourself during times of defeat. In order to conquer or achieve victory in the future, you must be willing to accept yourself before taking the next foot forward.
Plan everyday to be a winner
Refuse to wake up every morning with a negative outlook on life or for the day. Create a mental vision that you will be successful and achieve true happiness. Train your brain to believe only positive things will come in the future, and you’ll be driven towards triumph. Make a mental note or write down your goals on a notepad and put them somewhere you can never pass them by without glancing at them. Use this as a constant reminder of what you’re working towards and why you will achieve it.
Serve others with act of kindness
Be willing to lend a hand to your neighbor and volunteer your time and resources to benefit the greater good. Commit to making an impact on the world regardless of how big or small it may appear. Accept the reality of receiving no recognition, but perform acts of kindness from the heart. Remember that you will get everything you want in life, but only if you help others get what they want.
Never let your past challenges and failures become excuses for blaming others. Instead build a solid foundation in which you can support yourself during times of defeat.
Be a man of your word
Learn to say no when it’s appropriate, and commit yourself to always keeping your word when you say yes. Regardless of the length of time, hold your word as a bond that can never be forgotten until it is fulfilled. Be willing to stand up for yourself if you deem a task is too overbearing or sacrifices your dignity. Determine a judgment on your own, but at the same time take into consideration other people before making a response. Should you ever be uncomfortable answering a question, remember it is always better to be reserved than to say too much.
Avoid falling in love too hastily
As younger men we were once mesmerized by the thought of love, but after time we learned to understand its true purpose. Women can be deceiving, just as men can be, but you must always remember that never let love become your foundation in life. People change, relationships sour, and to believe love will be a guaranteed source of lifetime happiness is foolish. Instead let love enhance your lifestyle, and improve your experience, but never let it become your sole pleasure in life. Trust your woman, avoid jealously and consider her to be an incredible component to your life, but not the whole part of it.
Accept your age
Be willing to grow older and accept the wisdom you responsibilities you gain along the way. Dress in the proper attire to compliment your life experience, and act in a manner that reflects your true age. Continue to live in the moment and follow your spirit, but do so in the proper amount of moderation. Become a role model for the younger generation of men, and inspire them to reach their potential of becoming a respected gentleman. Demonstrate values and positive character so that those around you will follow in your footsteps. In the process never let your age hinder pride or value; for the older you become, the more respected you will be. EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
79
MALE Pattern BALDNESS
Male pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss in men.
Causes
Male pattern baldness is related to your genes and male sex hormones. It usually follows a pattern of receding hairline and hair thinning on the crown, and is caused by hormones and genetic predisposition. Each strand of hair you have sits in a tiny hole (cavity) in the skin called a follicle. Baldness in general occurs when the hair follicle shrinks over time, resulting in shorter and finer hair. Eventually, the follicle does not grow a new hair. However, the follicles remain alive, which suggest that it’s possible to grow new hair.
Symptoms
The typical pattern of male baldness begins at the hairline. The hairline gradually moves backward (recedes) and forms an “M” shape. Eventually the hair becomes finer, shorter, and thinner, and creates a U-shaped (or horseshoe) pattern of hair around the sides of the head.
80
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
Exams and Tests
Classic male pattern baldness is usually diagnosed based on the appearance and pattern of the hair loss. It is important to note that hair loss may be due to other conditions. This may be true if your hair loss occurs in patches, you shed a lot of hair, your hair breaks, or you have hair loss along with redness, scaling, or pain. A skin biopsy or other procedures may be needed to diagnose other disorders that cause hair loss. Hair analysis is not accurate for diagnosing hair loss due to nutritional or similar disorders. However, it may reveal substances such as arsenic or lead.
Treatment
Treatment is not necessary if you are comfortable with your appearance. Hair weaving, hairpieces, or change of hairstyle may disguise the hair loss. This is usually the least expensive and safest approach for male baldness. Two medications are approved to treat male pattern baldness: • Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a solution that you apply directly to the scalp to
ISSUE #006 | 2014
stimulate the hair follicles. It slows hair loss for many men, and some men grow new hair. Hair loss returns when you stop using this medicine. • Finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) is a pill that interferes with the production of a certain male hormone linked to baldness. It slows hair loss. It works a bit better than minoxidil. Hair loss returns when you stop using this medicine. Hair transplants consist of removing tiny plugs of hair from areas where the hair is continuing to grow and placing them in areas that are balding. This can cause minor scarring and possibly, infection. The procedure usually requires multiple sessions and may be expensive. Results, however, are often excellent and permanent. Suturing hair pieces to the scalp is not recommended. It can result in scars, infections, and abscess of the scalp. The use of hair implants made of artificial fibers was banned by the FDA because of the high rate of infection.
Outlook (Prognosis)
Male pattern baldness does not indicate a medical disorder, but it may affect self-
esteem or cause anxiety. The hair loss is usually permanent.
Possible Complications
• Psychological stress • Loss of self-esteem due to change in appearance
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your doctor if: • Your hair loss occurs in an atypical pattern, including rapid hair loss, widespread shedding, hair loss in patches, or hair breakage. • Your hair loss occurs with itching, skin irritation, redness, scaling, pain, or other symptoms. • Your hair loss begins after starting a medication. • You want to attempt to treat your hair loss.
MYTHS/ TRUTHS SURROUNDING BALDNESS
There are many myths regarding the possible causes of baldness and its
relationship with one’s virility, intelligence, ethnicity, job, social class, wealth, etc. While skepticism is warranted due to lack of scientific validation, some of these myths may have a degree of underlying truth.
although research on the implications is limited.
Weight Training and other types of physical activity cause baldness.
Emotional stress has been shown to accelerate baldness in genetically susceptible individuals. Stress due to sleep deprivation in military recruits lowered testosterone levels, but is not noted to have affected SHBG. Thus, stress due to sleep deprivation in fit males is unlikely to elevate DHT, which causes male pattern baldness. Whether it can cause hair loss by some other mechanism is not clear.
Because it increases testosterone levels many internet forums have put forward the idea that weight training and other forms of exercise increase hair loss in predisposed individuals. Although scientific studies do support a correlation between exercise and testosterone, no direct study has found a link between exercise and baldness. However a few have found a relationship between a sedentary lifestyle and baldness suggesting that some exercise is beneficial. It is possible that the type or quantity of exercise may influence hair loss; more studies are needed. Note that testosterone levels are not a good marker of baldness, and many studies actually show paradoxical low testosterone in balding persons,
Baldness can be caused by emotional stress, sexual frustration, etc.
Tight hats cause baldness.
While this may be a myth, hats do cause hair breakage and, to a lesser degree, split ends. Since hats are not washed as frequently as other clothing, they can also lead to scalp uncleanliness and possible Pityrosporum ovale contamination in men with naturally oily scalps. Some scalp infections, if left untreated, can cause hair loss. EMM
Promotional Items
Key Rings, Pen drives, Umbrellas, Polo Shirts, Rollup Stands, Branded Pens, Branded Mugs, Hand Bands And Many More... Contact: +233 0302 900 660 / 0246 362 409 | Location: Lamb street - Asylum down Email: clemoksolutions@yahoo.com
O H O D
responsible
ER TH FA
The Essence of
fatherhood
W
hen you hear the word, “father,” what images come to mind? What about the word, “daddy?” Depending on what type of father you had growing up, these words can elicit very positive or very negative memories. Some children grow up with fathers who are actively and positively involved in their lives. These fathers love their children, spend time with them, praise them, play with them, protect them, teach them, and help them deal with the struggles of life. On the other hand, some children grow up with fathers who are very uninvolved. Their actions do not convey love. They spend minimal amounts of time with their children; they do not encourage them, and they provide very little guidance. What is the essence of fatherhood? Is it simply the establishment of biological paternity? Do fathers simply provide a paycheck? Or, does fatherhood encompass much more? Perhaps the more pertinent question is this: What constitutes responsible fatherhood? Responsible fatherhood cannot be proven with a blood test, nor does it consist of simply providing a paycheck. Responsible fatherhood cannot be reduced to a single dimension. It involves commitment, self-sacrifice, integrity, and unconditional love. Responsible fathers are concerned with the well-being of their children, and their desire is to see their children succeed in all areas of life. While practices help us learn the hows of successful fatherhood, principles provide the framework for our fathering. Principles are the underlying philosophy, the way we think about our important role. And the way we think and feel about fatherhood frames our behavior, our responses and our attitudes. The Most Important Gift is Time. We can give our children things that money can buy: video games, iPod’s, designer clothes and the hottest mountain bike. But nothing substitutes for our time and attention. Every father struggles
with keeping work, self and family in balance; some seem to be able to strike that balance and avoid challenges like workaholism. We have also found that not all time is equal. There is a difference between quality time and quantity time. But my experience suggests that it is tough to have quality time without enough quantity. Teaching Responsibility. Fathers are in a unique position in a child’s life to teach responsibility and the value of work. We teach it by example by keeping our commitments, by putting family first and by enduring hard times. We also teach by giving children stewardship and demanding accountability, whether it is with chores, school work or other aspects of their young lives. Helping children learn to be responsible as children and later as adults is among our most critical roles. Use your Golden Sword. Family relationship expert Gary Smalley teaches the analogy of the two swords. The silver sword reflects our positional power, of the power we use in our workday world. The golden sword is the sword of personal power, that works best at home. Trying to use positional power with the children is dangerous and often has unintended negative results. But using the gold sword of personal power, described with words like “warmth, sensitivity, dependability, determination, genuine compassion, affection, and caring” has great application at home. So take off the silver sword and strap on the golden sword when you walk through the front door at home. Walk the Talk. A father who is a “Do as I say, not as I do” kind of dad will never have the respect of his children, or anyone else for that matter. Walking the talk—being what you want your children to be—is a symbol of integrity. But it requires personal discipline and sacrifice. Being a man of principle and living congruently with those principles is an essential element of successful fatherhood. Consistency. Fathers are best when their
approach is predictable and consistent. Children get a strong message when fathers are firm and solid in their approach. Being a “marshmallow” with your children is easier, but it hurts them in the long run. Being fair and consistent in discipline is important. When a father makes a rule, it should be enforced. Limits that are set and then moved are not limits at all, with either a child or with a parent. High Expectations. Successful fathers set high but realistic expectations for themselves and for their children. And then they work together to achieve those expectations. They read together so that they learn how to learn. They work together to achieve important ends. And they celebrate their accomplishments and learn from their mistakes. Expressions of Love. Fathers who have great relationships with their children have learned to express love in meaningful ways. They tailor their expressions to the way each child receives love. They are gentle but firm even when disciplining, and then show afterward an increase in love. They find little ways to express love, and they do it every day when the kids are living at home. Mutual Respect. When a father shows respect for his children and others, they are more likely to respect him. Keeping expectations clear, being even handed and level headed, and respecting children’s self-worth all help breed an atmosphere of mutual respect. And when a father respects their child’s mother, regardless of whether they are married or divorced, children learn to respect him more completely. Making Values Count. It is not enough for a father to teach behavior; successful fathers also teach values. They have a rich spiritual life (however they define that) and connect to nature and timeless values. They respect womanhood, they are honest, the live by standards of moral integrity. Great fathers help pass on these values to their children rather than leaving them valueless in a world where values seem to shift with the sands of time.
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
83
6
Top
tips for
Single
parents
W
hen you’re raising a child as a single parent, you’re handling a lot of tasks and decisions on your own. You need effective ways to find support and make life easier and more fun for you and your child.
1. Develop a Routine. Keep mealtimes, bedtimes, and the time the family wakes up in the morning fairly consistent. A predictable routine structures your day and helps give your child a sense of security. You may miss your kids during the workday and feel guilty that your job requires you to spend so much time away from them. But don’t make up for it at night. “Trying to squeeze in more time together by letting them stay up late is not the best approach,” says Leah Klungness, PhD, a psychologist in Long Island, N.Y., and coauthor of The Complete Single Mother. “Kids need more sleep than we schedule into our jam-packed lives,” she says. “Also, parents need and deserve some kidfree time to get things accomplished and decompress a bit.” 2. Make Time to Play. No matter how busy life gets, devote time on a regular basis to relaxing and having fun with your kids. Focus your attention on enjoying each other’s company and tune out other distractions. “I often recommend to families that they schedule a play time -- perhaps once a week -- when they turn off the television and phone and spend a half hour playing a game, taking a walk, or throwing a ball around,” says Barry G. Ginsberg, PhD, a child and family psychologist in Doylestown, Pa., and author of 50 Wonderful Ways to Be a Single-Parent Family. “It helps reinforce your emotional connection.” 3. Seek and Accept Support. Build a network of people you trust that can help with childcare, carpooling, and even projects around the house. “The challenges facing single parents are not that different from those of all parents. But it may be more difficult for them to create the community of support we all need to function as parents. They need to be more creative and active in
84
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
cultivating that supportive community,” Klungness says. Your support team could include, for example, relatives, neighbors, and other parents you meet at your child’s daycare center or school. “You need ‘middle-of-the-night friends’ -- people you can call at a moment’s notice who can help you in person in case of an emergency,” Klungness says. “But you also need people you and your kids can meet up with for fun activities. They may or may not wind up being the same people.” 4. Form or Join a Childcare Co-Op To save money on babysitters and get to know other local families, consider joining or forming a babysitting co-op. “You can form a co-op with other parents you trust who have kids around the same age as yours,” says Jim Anastasi, LMFT, a marriage and family therapist in Mason City, Iowa. “They can watch your kids one night a week and you can watch their kids the next night.” To keep the system fair, members of the co-op “earn” a specific number of points in exchange for each hour they spend babysitting. They can then “spend” these points when they ask another member to babysit for them. 5. Collaborate With Your Kids. “In a single-parent family, it’s helpful if the kids can collaborate with you to accomplish the things that need to get done,” Ginsberg says. He suggests talking with them about viewing the family as a team that has to work together. “For example, if you don’t get home from work until after 5, you could ask them to start preparing dinner or assist with cleaning up afterwards,” Ginsberg says. 6. Give Yourself Breaks. Recharge your batteries by arranging for your kids to be with a grandparent or babysitter for a few hours. Though it’s tempting, don’t use that time to clean your house or get caught up on laundry or work. “Do something fun with your friends, enjoy some solitude, or watch old movies all day,” says Anastasi. “Learn to enjoy life and to model that for your kids.” EMM
Powered By:
SP O RT S
REVEALED
MANCHESTER UNITED MASSIVELY OVERPAID FOR ANGEL DI MARIA, LIVERPOOL WERE RIPPED OFF AND CHELSEA COMMITTED DAYLIGHT ROBBERY
A new transfer value calculator has revealed the true quality of clubs’ dealings in the summer window – and it doesn’t make good reading for Liverpool or Manchester United fans. The transfer window closed on 1st September night with Premier League sides collectively smashing their previous record. But some of their dealings don’t necessarily represent good value for money. According to findings released by the CIES Football Observatory, in conjunction with Opta, Manchester United were financially one of the biggest casualties of the transfer window, over-paying by a whopping £24m for Angel Di Maria. The Argentine moved to Old Trafford from Real Madrid for £59.7m – a British record transfer fee. But according to the stats, his true value – based on age, position, contract length, games played and goals scored – is just £35.8m. Meanwhile, Louis van Gaal was also overcharged for both Ander Herrera (£28m) and Luke Shaw, who joined for £30m. But United weren’t the only victims of over-inflated transfer fees. Liverpool also paid more than they should have done for several of their summer acquisitions, including Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Alberto Moreno and Divock Origi.
86
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014
And while the quartet, who cost £20m, £23m, £12m and £10m respectively, helped the Reds shell out a mammoth £116.8m in total, they also undercharged Barcelona for Luis Suarez. The two clubs are currently reporting differing fees for the controversial Uruguayan, but according to the CIES Football Observatory, the Reds could have squeezed an additional £9.4m out of the Catalan club. However, it hasn’t been all bad news for the Anfield spreadsheet, with Liverpool saving an impressive £13m on new arrival Mario Balotelli from AC Milan, whose true value is said to be £29m. Arsenal, meanwhile, had a mixed summer. The Gunners are said to have overpaid for both Alexis Sanchez and Calum Chambers, but gained more for Thomas Vermaelen than the Belgian’s market value. But not all Premier League clubs overpaid on bolstering their squads this summer. For Chelsea, it proved a very lucrative transfer window.The Blues may have added big names including Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Loic Remy, but they were under-charged for all three – Costa to the tune of £8m. Meanwhile, they also somehow squeezed £50m out of Paris Saint-Germain for defender David Luiz, whose true value is said to be just £27m, but overpaid for Filipe Luis.
Canelo Alvarez Next Fight: Joshua Clottey In Line For December
Canelo Alvarez’s next opponent is close to being finalized, and to the disappointment of many fans, it won’t be WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. According to reports, Alvarez could face Joshua Clottey in December. Clottey, who will be 37 by the time fight night arrives, had a nearly two-year layoff after he was nearly shut out by Manny Pacquiao in 2011. That loss was preceded by a split decision defeat against Cotto, in which Cotto fought with a swollen left eye from Round 3 on. Clottey’s promoter Joe DeGuardia confirmed talks of a fight with BoxingScene.com. “We’ve had talks. I think it’s a great fight and I hope it happens.” After the back-to-back losses to Cotto and Pacquiao, Clottey didn’t fight until 2013 against Calvin Green, whom he beat by 2nd round TKO. Since returning, Clottey is 3-0 with the one knockout. Clottey is a surprise name on the list of potential Canelo opponents; James Kirkland was believed to be the leader of the pack. Kirkland, whose record stands at 32-1-0 with 28 knockouts.
Fans had hoped for an Alvarez vs. Cotto clash, but it appears both sides would prefer to hold that fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend of 2015. That plan could be scrapped too though because Cotto may be forced to defend his middleweight title vs. Gennady “GGG” Golovkin or Marco Antonio Rubio in May 2015, and not Alvarez. Although Clottey might not be the most exciting opponent, Alvarez’s third fight of the year will most likely not air on payper-view. Whether it will be shown on Showtime or HBO is in question, however. “Canelo isn’t going to go pay-per-view,” Golden Boy vice president Eric Gomez said. “We don’t want to saturate the market. He’s willing to go live on either Showtime or HBO. We’ll see. Maybe another network. He has no contract with any network. We’re working on things.” EMM
2014 | ISSUE #006
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
87
L IN SP IR AT IO N A
POTATOES, EGGS, AND COFFEE BEANS Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” she hastily replied. “Look closer,” he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the
SHAKE OFF YOUR PROBLEMS A man’s favorite donkey falls into a deep precipice; He can’t pull it out no matter how hard he tries; He therefore decides to bury it alive. Soil is poured onto the donkey from above. The donkey feels the load, shakes it off, and steps on it; More soil is poured. It shakes it off and steps up; The more the load was poured, the higher it rose; By noon, the donkey was grazing in green pastures. After much shaking off (of problems) And stepping up (learning from them), One will graze in GREEN PASTURES.
hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face. “Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity– the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which are you,” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean? “ Moral: In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us. Which one are you?
THE ELEPHANT ROPE As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not. He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.” The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were. Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.
88
EXCLUSIVE MEN’S MAGAZINE
ISSUE #006 | 2014