Potpourri of motivational speakers and more
Following the promise of the ruling government to construct a dam in each village and a factory for every district, the term has gradually wormed itself into our national vocabulary.
It connotes the abundant availability of almost anything. Variations such as, “one man, one wife,” “one week, one scandal,” have all come up. Hardly does a week pass without something occurring. Though it is used mostly for comic relief, its significance cannot be slighted.
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I have identified three social issues which have inundated our society and thus, aptly fall within the framework. These are motivational speakers, counsellors and last but not least, security experts.
Motivational speakers
Motivation speaking is defined as the art of making speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speeches may be designed to challenge or transform their audiences.
Elsewhere, it is big business and renowned speakers can rake in as much as GH¢50,000 per gig. The remuneration depends on the name, expertise, niche, experience and the message.
The key ingredients for success in this field include experience, integrity, credibility, niche and good oratory skills.
Perhaps, attracted by the success of others in the developed world, motivational speaking has suddenly become brisk business in our part of the world. It would not have warranted any discussions, but for the fact that the right principles are not being adhered to.
Apart from the sheer numbers, they come in all shapes and forms. Some are genuine, but others are scammers, 419 people and in some cases outright criminals, rapists and paedophiles. For some, it is a way of building their Curriculum Vitae for their businesses.
Recent events and, especially, happenings in the financial sector have cast a lot of doubt on some of them and I have begun wondering whether we have a different definition of who a motivational speaker is in our part of the world.
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Remember, Chief Medicina who claimed to be doing some business with tilapia farming, was a motivational speaker!
Some of these loud motivational speakers would do with motivation themselves. It seems they have thrived on mere bow ties, smart suits and slippery tongues.
Some of them tour schools to collect money from students to give talks when their own lives are nothing to write home about and they are non-achievers!
And a passive society where everything goes without checks and balances, a condescending media looks on. Worse still, the media does not only look on, but gets actively involved in promoting them without any background checks.
Counsellors
Following closely on their heels is another group called counsellors. It is difficult to determine where they came from, but are now everywhere. Some are so loud and indulge more in comedy than any fruitful counselling. Others tinker their work with playing the devil’s advocate so as to remain odd and relevant.
A counsellor is a person trained to give guidance on personal or psychological problems.
How an “illiterate” pastor can pass for one, beats anyone. Needless to say, it takes a lot of training for one to gain the competences as a qualified counsellor. Unfortunately, in our part of the world, a few biblical quotations and a loud mouth are all one needs. And so there is an influx of counsellors all over.
As if these were not enough, we are now hit with a new breed of people calling themselves security experts. A security expert and for that matter an expert in any field is someone who has taken that field as an area of study and contributed significantly towards that area of knowledge.
Strangely in Ghana, you have toddler security experts whose knowledge in security issues is questionable. Yet here again, we have the media prodding them on and granting them audience all the time, while sometimes ignoring the real experts. It appears the qualification has been lowered to eloquence and smart dressing in different colours with shoes to match.
How we expect to build a sound society on the back of such quackery and mediocrity is difficult to explain.
This open-door policy must stop and people purporting to be experts in any field must show proof of their expertise in that field. Associations must be formed to monitor the activities of such people.
The ordinary Ghanaian is being short-changed one time too many. Enough of this one Ghana, one something business.
Writer’s E-mail: [email protected]/[email protected]