Accra, July 3, GNA- Mr Anthony Oteng-Gyasi, Managing Director of Tropical Cable and Conductor Limited, at the weekend, won the covetous Marketing Man of the year award at the 2004 National Marketing Performance Awards, organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) in Accra.
Mrs Bella Ahu, Executive Director of Traffix Catering, won the Marketing Woman of the year whilst Mr Desmond Lamptey of the Ghana School of Marketing, carried home the award for the best Marketing Student for 2004. The 23 awards span indigenous Industry; Distribution, Media, Services, Manufacturing and Personality categories.
Graphic Communications Group, won the Media Organisation of the year, whilst Kokrokoo the Morning Show Programme, on Peace FM, an Accra radio station, received the Radio Programme of the Year. The award winners had met the benchmark, which comprised marketing and technical innovation, outstanding contributions to national development, public image, market place success, customer care schemes, ethical and ecological issues among other considerations.
Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, presented the plaque and citation to Mr Oteng-Gyasi, who was decorated with a sash amidst cheers and fire works display, while Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children presented Mrs Ahu's prize to her. Alhaji Mahama observed that the ultimate goal of CIMG and the marketing profession was to place Ghana on the global market by harnessing its local resources and abilities. They must also market Ghana in all its positive manifestations and fight the negative propaganda waged against the nation by political dissidents in the media especially on the Internet.
Alhaji Mahama asked marketers facilitate the unprecedented global demand for Ghanaian produce and tune themselves to the needs of their customers who are becoming discernable and unpredictable. " Customer loyalty cannot be taken for granted. It must be earned and this calls for innovation," he said. The Vice President said the favourable micro and macro economic index and good governance had made the country the haven for investment in the West African Sub- Region, which is plaque by instability. He called on CIMG to step up efforts to boost productivity, saying " Our competitors are not sleeping, neither are they waiting for us to catch up with them".
Professor Stephen Adei, President of the CIMG expressed satisfaction at the country's credible performance at the Peer Review process of the New Partnership for Africa's development, emphasising that, " anything that shows Ghana in good light is good for marketers". He called for a national think-tank that would be the nerve centre for intellectual direction on policy and other major decision to boost accelerated development.
Prof. Adei, also the Director and Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, called for national consensus on development. He noted that too much national attention was been given to who would rule the country after every General Election at the expense of development.
To address the problem, he said: "Let us revisit the ill-timed suggestion... to extend the term of Government from four to seven years". " It will save us the cost and the disruption entailed in installing a new government every four years."
Prof. Adei also called for constitutional amendment to pave the way for two vice presidents who would cater for significant minority groups who would feel alienated from national politics .
Mr Oteng-Gyasi complained about unbridled unfair global competition, which is affecting local jobs. He said policy makers must ensure that local manufacturers were given mandatory option for government procurement, attracting applause from the over 300 audience comprising mainly of entrepreneurs and marketers. Mr Oteng- Gyasi said Ghanaians should also insist on buying made- in- Ghana goods as a patriotic duty.
