Ngo McDappa: Manager With The Midas TouchNgo McDappa: Manager With The Midas Touch Looking for a man to turn around the fortune of your company to first rate through excellent human capital management? Find Mr. Ngo McDappa. The Dangote Group found him and made him the Head, Human Resources and Administration of Dangote Noodles and in no time, he is replicating the success he made at Indomie (De-United Foods) where he held similar position for four years.
McDappa's professional competence in strategic human resource management spans over 20 years. He had worked in both the public and private sectors in such companies as TMG Oil Field Supply and Service Group, Rivers State Television, Layon Industries Nigeria Ltd, First Aluminium Co. and Transcorp Nigeria Ltd among others.
The Abalama, Rivers State-born gentleman who was a very active student unionist during his undergraduate days at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology where he held various posts including Secretary-General of the student union has however shunned politics. Instead, McDappa who is the new President of the Rotary Club of Ota, Sango, Ogun State burns with a passion for helping the less privileged.
Recently, McDappa shared some of his experiences with HOPE NJOKU and UCHE AKOLISA. Excerpts:
Human Element Is Critical In Every Business
As the new President of Rotary Club of Ota, what plans do you have for your community during your tenure?
For this Rotary year, we plan to have a skill acquisition programme for
the youths of the community. You see a lot of them roaming the
streets, not having anything to do. They say, 'an idle mind is the
devil's workshop'. There are a lot of miscreants all over the place,
largely because they do not have something doing. So, with the
skill-acquisition programme, most of these youths will be gainfully
engaged. We are looking at trades like carpentry, welding, tailoring
and printing. After the skill-acquisition, we intend to set them up.
So, we have a micro-credit scheme alongside the skill acquisition
programme.
We also realised that reading culture in Nigeria is far away from us,
so we are trying to encourage the development of reading culture. We
want to stock the community library. Also we want to beef up on the
water project we have been running over the years. We want to take it
to communities we have not touched yet. We also want to provide solar
power system for the police station in Ota. If you got to the police
station, most of the time, it is dark at night. How can they fight
crime in darkness?
We plan to do something around HIV/AIDS. Very recently we got a call
from a pastor in one of the suburb calling us to come on a campaign
because HIV/AIDS is ravaging the community. As part of the efforts to
reduce infant mortality, we plan to provide oral dehydration kits to
the community.
Don't you think one year is too short a time to accomplish all you have just listed?
I am sure if we have the money down, we can do all these in three
months. That is why we are calling on well-meaning individuals and
corporate bodies to support us. In Ota we have well over 100 companies
and if they are willing to give back a little part of what they are
making from the community, by partnering with Rotary, I think one year
will be enough to do all these. Another thing is we want to get
where like a Rotary centre in Ota. Normally, we meet in hotels and the
secretariat of the club moves from one presidents’s house to the
other. If we are able to get money to acquire land for the centre and
get a design, subsequent presidents can take it from there.
Most non-governmental organisations concentrate their efforts on the
cities rather than the hinterland where aid is needed most. Is there
anything Rotary is doing for rural communities?
Of course, wherever the poorest people are found around the world, you
find the Rotary Club. We are not just limiting ourselves to the urban
areas, Ota could be said to be suburban because of the industrial
presence, but we are going to the interiors.
Lets go to your career. Why did you choose human resource management as a career path?
What makes any society, community or nation is the people. The most
critical element, the most critical resource, is the human resource.
So, I have chosen a career in human capital management knowing the
critical position that element is occupying. In fact, in an
organisation if you have all the money that can power a
state-of-the-art facilities and the human element is not there, all
that you have will be a mere framework. The machines can't run
themselves. Even what they call the automated systems still need human
beings to power them. You need human being to take the decisions. The
human element is the most critical element and of course, the only key
element that requires very specialised skill in managing it. It is not
the machines that matter most, it's the people. The best brand in
terms of products can be imitated. But if you are able to brand the
human capital, there is no how anybody can imitate the human brand. If
you are able to accomplish employee branding, after accomplishing
excellent product branding, then you will make it. All over the world,
if you want to find out the secret of the success of the best
performing companies, you will discover that two things stand out(
there are two indices to determine that a company is doing well)—
profitability and the employee retention level. Where you see people
come and go at quick succession, what do you do to keep the people
because they are ones who co-ordinate the process? So, I think that is
why I am here.
You been there for a long time before you climbed to the top the ladder to this point. What is your winning card?
I was virtually head hunted. I did not send my application anywhere.
Some people at the Indomie applied for job at Dangote Noodles.
Somehow, most of the people they interviewed whenever they checked
their CV, they either see my name as a referee, or they would see a
letter signed by me as HRM(Hunan Resource Manager) of Indomie. So they
started asking questions: “Who is he? Let's just look for him”. One
day, I got a call. Before then, I learnt they have interviewed so many
people for the same position, but were not able to get what they
wanted. I went over for a chat. By the time we chatted for 15 to 20
minutes, they have got what they were looking for. The people you
mentored will be like your ambassadors. They will sing your song. It
is the same here in the Rotary The human resource manager is not like
the olden days, they called them personnel manager, when like the
village headmaster who wants to carry cane and stand at the door and
say “Hey!Why did you come late?” You hire and fire. It is far beyond
there.. This one you carry the people along, put them in the true
picture of the business, so that they see themselves as stakeholders
and not a servant-master relationship, because that’s the way you get
the best. Otherwise, they are saying, 'yes, yes! Eight hours they are
there but what they produce may not be up to one hour’s work. But if
you are able to know how to manage them, you get the best out of them.
I have been able to do that wherever I have been and the workers have
confidence in me. Managers have problem when workers have lost
confidence in the management, wwhere they don't seem to believe what
the management is telling them. Of course, it is not easy, because
sometimes you go to the management and they will say, you are
pro-workers. Sometimes you go to workers, they won't believe you,
they would say, you are a sell-out. These are the hazards of the
human resource manager profession. You have to be able to balance both
sides. Sometimes, the management expects you to be tough, hard. They
don't understand it is not like that. The job requires high level of
diplomacy. The HRM must be a highly diplomatic person. Of course, you
know what you want at the end of the day. I have faced situations
where I had the challenge of asking people out of the system and you
handle it with tact such that at the end of the day, the people
themselves will be willing to go and as they are going, they are
telling you, ‘thank you’. So, you ask the management what they want:
Is it high productivity or...People can be here for eight hours but at
the end of the day, they only have increased waste and all of that so,
it is pennywise, pound foolish. The Nigerian economy today is largely
dominated by Asian investors and most of these people do not understand
modern human resource management techniques. It is a problem we are
facing but gradually, we are making some headways. They used to think
HRM is not important. If you are talking of production, marketing,
they take them seriously. So, we encourage HR people to learn and
understand the language of the business to know how more effectively to
partner and support the business.
Over the years, you have been involved in the recruitment of people.
What are the commonest pitfalls that job seekers get trapped in?
You have a lot of graduates out there on the street jobless but
somehow, there are also jobs that have not been filled over a period of
time. Our educational institutions are busy every year turning out
graduates with skills that are not relevant to the needs of the
economy. So, we need to review our curriculum. Some people just say,
'let it just be that I have been to the university, that I am called a
graduate. It doesn't matter what I read.' The reality of it will dawn
on you after you come out and start walking the streets for one or two
years without finding a job. What you are carrying as a degree will be
of no use to businesses that are around. Again, where you think there
are relevant skills available, let say, in engineering, every
manufacturing company will need an engineer, you interview 10 to 20
engineering graduates and at the end of the day, you hardly find two or
three who can perform averagely to be considered for a placement. That
is the challenge we are facing. Of course, when the school will be on
strike for one thing or the other for half of the school year, people
pay for certificate and ‘sorting’ goes on, and people don't have to sit
for exams, what do you expect? There are those reading computer science
that hardly touch the computer for five years. Today, we are in a new
world (of ICT). We have seen a lot of graduates who said they don't
have computer knowledge. They have degrees but they are computer
illiterate, in this 21st century! It is amazing.
You were very much involved in student politics, why are you not involved in active politics today?
I have a lot of people, friends as deputy governors, senator, minister,
this, that. I discovered that the way politics is being played today,
if you want to really serve God, you can't fit in. That is basically
what put me off. Even now, I don't think I would have been able to get
involved in student politics, because right now, it is not what it used
to be , what with cultism and all that.
Remarkable things about growing up days?
Having a clear vision and the determination to get somewhere, I tried
to set targets for myself. I said, in the next five years, I want to
be this.... Along the line, there were setbacks here and there but I
was somehow determined. Beyond one's determination and effort, I will
also say God's favour. I believe strongly that God's factor cannot be
downplayed. There have been some divine interventions, maybe because
that is what I believe. So, growing up was not a bed of roses.
Incidentally, I lost my father at the age of two. My mother was there
for me and saw me through primary, secondary and university. I started
my career right from my youth service. I served in Kaduna. They first
posted me to one secondary school in one interior village where I saw
only one block building in the whole village. It was owned by one Igbo
man. I went back to the Secretariat to protest. One company came
around that wanted somebody in my field and I went there. After my
service, I joined Rivers State Television and worked as Head of
Administration. Later I moved into the private sector. When it is
industrial politics, I am there to push through. You know, if you grow
in a career to a certain level, further growth is now basically a
function of politics, not necessarily performance and that is where
some of us have gotten to.
Creation of the Niger Delta Ministry?
As far as I am concerned, that is a very useless decision. It doesn't
solve the problem in any way. We have Niger Delta Development
Commission. The paraphernalia of offices of ministers and permanent
secretaries. The money that would have been used to develop theH place
will now be spent on political appointees and frivolities of personal
aides and travels. Until we look at the real needs of the people and
address them beyond political inclinations and affiliation, we will not
get there. They will come and tell you they have executed millions of
naira worth of project. If you go to the place you don't see
anything. The people don't have good water to drink, no electricity,
the schools are not equipped. I think they need God's intervention.
It is a problem of the mindset. The president should directly
supervise NDDC.
Relationship with God?
I gave my life to Christ when I was in Class Two in secondary school in
Buguma, Rivers State. There was a crusade. I was to go there and have
fun but somehow the altar call was made and I responded. I grew
rapidly and by the time I was in Class Five,( that time we used to
write WAEC in June, )we declared July for Christ after our WAEC in June
and went from place to place on evangelism. Since then, by God's
grace, I have been in the Lord.
Why You Should
Not Envy Your
Mother-In-Law
You are always at loggerheads and envious of your mother-in-law because
her son, your husband gives her the attention you feel is unnecessary.
There is no need to get envious and begrudge the old woman what is due
her because you have not been doing what the woman has been doing.
As a wife you ought to have studied your husband and his mother to know
what bind them together, instead of wearing long face in the house and
trying to throw your weight around.
Your husband is close and attached to his mother because of the following reasons.
* The first person he knew before he thought of marrying you was his mother.
* The first person he kissed was his mother.
* The first person he told his secrets to was his mother (even when he dated you).
* The only person who has always been there for him was mama(even when his father abandoned them).
* The only person who, without hesitation, would sacrifice personal hopes and dreams was his mummy.
* She has been a father, a mother, a sister, everything to him.
* His mother has always raised him with care and compassion which is beyond description.
* Even when he is in trouble, you his wife may abandon him and take off with another man but his mother won't do so.
As the woman in his life, you have to be mindful of his needs,
concerned about his happiness and excited about his triumphs just like
his mother.
so the questions you need to ask yourself is:
* Am I there when he needs a hug?
* Am I there when he needs encouragement?
* Would I be there when he needs advice?
* Would I be there to brag about his achievements and downplay his disappointments just like his mother?
* His mother would not fight him over those issues you fight him over.
* His mother won't grumble that he didn't keep enough money for food like you would.
* His mother won't compare him with his mates like you would.
* His mother won't nag and urge him to put his hands into evil like you would to satisfy you.
If you have been seeing his mother as an obstacle to overcome or a
landmine to avoid, stop it and make a u-turn. so stop faulting him for
being attached to his mother. Instead, try and see how you can learn
from his mother and win his love.
Success
Nuggets
1. Success is doing what you like to do. Don't do anything because
it's the way you are going to get rich, famous or powerful. Do it
because you love to do it.
2. If you do not love what you are doing, you will never be successful at it.
3. Excellence is an art. We are what we repeatedly do— Aristotles
4. “By enhancing your thinking skill, you will become a better
leader and your organisation's performance will concurrently
improve”—John Mangieri & Cathy Block.
5. Make big plans, don't make small plans. Big plans attract big people, small plans attract small people.
6. If you can see it, you can believe it. If you can believe it, you can behave it, then you can become it.
7. Success is a by- product of faithfulness.
8. “Find out what you love to do and you will never have to work for another day in your life”— Friedrich Wilhem Nietzche.
9. A poor man is not one without naira in his pocket but one without a vision of life— David K. Aboderin.
10. Helen Keller, blind but a great achiever was asked what could be
worse than being blind she replied, “Having eyes without a vision”.
11. There is no road too long to the man who advances deliberately
and without undue haste. There are no honours too distant to the man
who prepares himself for them with patience— Jean La Bruyere.
12. The uncommon man is merely the common thinking and dreaming of success in more fruitful areas— Melvin Powers.
13. Once you are connected to God every step will lead to another opportunity. Bishop Mike Okonkwo
14. What you see determines the level of your consecration. Rev. Tony Samson
Integrity
The word, ‘integrity’ is a word that most people in the society cannot
openly identify with. Integrity as noted in Proverbs 19 verse 1 "Better
is the poor that walks in his integrity". It is defined as a quality of
being honest and morally upright. What qualities makes one a person of
integrity in a world where people has biased views about the norms of
God, family and society? The sayings of Niccolo Machiavelli that "the
end justifies the means" when critically viewed does it hold weight?
For the Book of Wisdom noted that, "The integrity of the upright shall
guide them but the unfaithful are destroyed by their
duplicity".(Proverbs 11 verse 3.)
One is inclined through studies to note that the qualities of integrity include the following:
* Truthfulness
* Honesty in facets of life.
* Purity
* Submission
* Commitment to a course
* Patience
* Boldness to stand against unjust practices.
If late mother Theresa and Dr Dora Akunyili of NAFDAC could stand
against the vices of their society, then it is possible to live a life
of integrity. Every woman should always bear this in mind— “A good name
is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving kindness rather
than silver and gold”. My collections will not be buried with me but
the name I leave behind will speak till eternity.
A life of integrity is what every woman should strive to have and
practise for it pays. One might not be smart today but tomorrow such
will definitely be rewarded.
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