Continuing from the disclaimer I put in the preceding section (Latest News), I want to use this newsletter edition to discuss the 49th Independence Anniversary of my dear country Nigeria, by narrating two (2) recent true unsavoury experiences I suffered due to DEEP lack of integrity that remains so widespread amongst Nigerians, causing her continuing chronic under-development.

Let me start by reproducing the contents of page 4 of a Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 slideshow I got hold of back in April this year. That slide/page had the following EXACT contents:

---------------
OUR VALUES
> Trust in God
> Integrity
> Honesty
> Team Spirit
> Efficiency

---------------

I came across the PowerPoint file while working on a client's laptop, setting up and customising an application I built for their company. You see I accidentally clicked on the file on the laptop desktop (while aiming for my Excel application), and it opened displaying the company name with the title: "Company Profile".

Out of curiosity I clicked in the left pane to view a few other pages at random. Suddenly I came across one titled "Our People"(page 8), and noticed, with no little amount of surprise that MY NAME was listed along with three others. That was not all, in front of my name, the title "Accountant" was placed in parenthesis!

I was so disconcerted that all I could think of doing was to make a copy of the file to my flash drive, so that I could take another look later on. Since that time, I have discussed this with a trusted associate, and my father. Both were very clear in telling me my client was wrong to have used my name in such a document that was obviously used for a company presentation to a formal audience, WITHOUT my knowledge or consent.

Up till this day, I very much doubt that the client knows that I discovered what they did. The system date on the file was 27th Feb. 2009, which I recall falls within the period THAT client told me they were exploring opportunities to secure external funding for the business. I leave you to imagine the rest.

But my main point is this: On page 4, the presentation listed "Integrity and Honesty" amongst others as VALUES they held dear. Yet, they chose to use my name without my consent - listing me as a member of their team, without telling me, and even though they knew I was NOT.

The worst part is that they identified me with the job title of "Accountant" - showing that they were so unwilling to let me know what they were doing, that they preferred not to ask me. Instead they chose to present me as THEIR accountant (possibly since the software I built for them also generated an Income & Expense summary) to their presentation audience.

That's why Nigeria is a crawling giant even as it clocks 49 years. We are (as I have said before) a country of MANIPULATORS. We do not know how to speak truth. We invest major energy in scheming and plotting. We do not let merit win. We always try to get what we have not earned. We take delight in EXPLOITING others!

And it is KILLING this country, because it is frustrating the best brains and talents that we have. Everyone cannot become a musician or home video actor or producer. Everyone cannot become a comedian or entertainer. We need AUTHENTIC thinkers - to flourish in this country, and help her BUILD its INTELLECTUAL capital. Such people will NEVER thrive where bad practices like the above persist.

And if you wonder why I am only just mentioning now, something that I discovered way back in April, I'll confess that I NEVER planned to do so, UNTIL last week when I did a Google search with my name and noticed a result that read:

"Tayo Solagbade B.Sc, M.Sc Accounting.....E-Commerce"

Note: I do not have an M.Sc qualification, and I certainly do NOT specialise in Accounting or E-Commerce, and have NEVER told anyone so.

Not believing my eyes, I clicked on the link to see an Acrobat PDF document open revealing that I had been listed on a company's training faculty for September 2009 with the above mentioned description. I checked and discovered it was a document prepared by ANOTHER client, and he had gone ahead to publish the document on his website, with it VERY VERY incorrect details about me on the World Wide Web.

Note: I vividly recall telling this gentleman when he asked me about putting my name on his list that I preferred that he did NOT do so. Obviously, he did not feel my opinion mattered.

This second client did what he did around the same time he published a newspaper advert for one of the listed courses. You can imagine how many people would have viewed and downloaded that document all through September before I discovered it last week!

Since Wednesday 30th September 2009, I have sent two email requests and two mobile phone text messages PLUS made a personal visit to his office, to get him to effect removal of the offending document. As at this morning(9.30a.m 5th October 2009), that document still opened from his website when I clicked the Google result link.

It goes without saying, that anyone who reads the wrong information about me in that PDF, and who knows the truth is likely to assume that THAT was the information I supplied by myself. In effect, my credibility and integrity can effectively be called to question.

THAT is why I have chosen to publish the DISCLAIMER in the earlier part of my newsletter. Indeed I got advice from certain quarters to take this matter up legally with the two clients I have described. I have chosen instead to stay action - for NOW, and instead use this newsletter.

It however appears that for at least this second client I may have to take more formal steps to seek redress, since it appears he and his website manager do NOT seem to be speaking the same language towards doing the honourable thing.

What a way to celebrate my country's 49th birthday. Incidentally, the news stories I heard on radio as I drove into town this morning do NOT suggest anything has changed.

By way of interest, I find it instructive to note that both these clients I have written about on various occasions, as I worked for them made repeat efforts to get me to (a) attend THEIR church/fellowship or (b) convert to their Pentecostal faith. Every time they did this, I made it clear to them, I was not interested. Yet they came back at me now and then - sometimes choosing to tell me how their religion had made their lives so much better - bla, bla, bla.

If you were in my shoes, what would you go with? Their actions or words? As for me, my non-interest in religion is NOT based on what I see others do, or NOT do. I have chosen my own way - and I believe it works well for me. And NO ONE will ever find me guilty of DELIBERATE unethical conduct. I would imagine that a person who truly allows God's spirit to guide him/her would NEVER go as far as misrepresenting him/herself. Or did God publish a new set of laws for these guys?

If you plan to do business in Nigeria as a one-man act like me, just be aware that what I have described above CAN happen to you, and take necessary precautions. But if it happens that you play the same "dirty" game yourself, then nothing that I have said here would bother you...Pity! !

SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Built-In Excel Solutions Development

ON-DEMAND LEARNING EVENT: In-House Excel-VB Programming Coaching For Your Employees

Minimise Expensive Software Purchase By Developing In-House Excel-VB Programming Expertise Among Your Staff.

Your company can eliminate vital decision making delays due to IT personnel being overloaded for instance, by empowering “champion” employees within individual departments to quickly and easily develop solutions to that address the immediate business data analysis/reporting needs of their respective units.

Other benefits of having In-House Excel-VB Solutions Development expertise:

(a). It will provide temporary alternative to - or relieve pressure on - the IT department.

(b). Provides users a useful/friendly development environment for new reports and analyses - which in turn enhances software needs definition - reducing software development or purchase costs.

(c). Empowers employees to analyse company data to improve performance.

It is my belief that just as I was able to develop over four(4) automated spreadsheet applications to solve real-life problems – in my spare time - as a non-IT staff in Guinness Nigeria Plc (read details on the about page at www.excelheaven.spontaneousdevelopment.com), your staff, if equipped with similar skills, can do the same for your company – and possibly help you AVOID expending scarce cash (1). buying expensive commercial software or (2). hiring "pricey" software developers.

Click here to learn how I have built custom Excel-VB driven software for client companies for as much as N200,000.00(Proof Available). While there you can request/download my FREE MS Excel Coaching Skills Matrix workbook and a one-page Excel VB Programming Coaching Course Outline.

Call 234-803-302-1263 to request further details.

Web www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

Click here to view other recommended resources

Yours in Self-Development!

Tayo K. Solagbade
Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist