LASSA FEVER

It's been more than a week I had been here.

Yeah, I know. I have reneged on my promise, once again.

It hasn't been easy I tell you. Not with the fact that a colleague has left the office for other sojourns. Now, work done by three of us is left to only two. And soon, that work might only be left for yours truly. I haven't seen any activity to suggest that a new hand is coming in soon.

This coupled with a number of other things have ensured that I have little time for anything else. Well, almost...some things you just have got to do still.

I will give you a condensed rundown of things and happenings between Monday July 8 and Sunday July 15. It won't be very pretty like the usual, but it will be something, right?

Ok, let's do this.

Monday's status meeting was really short. Shorter than most. Partly because the 'top dog' wasn't around, but mostly because people didn't have much to say. Maybe a result of the morning rains. So, the business of the day was crisp and done with in record time. There was a minor drama though between the head of the electrical unit and the finance controller. As always, the issue was over delays in release of funds to execute jobs. These things ehn....

Tuesday though was a bombshell!

The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), pulled down the display material of the company's premium client on our marquee site at Dolphin. The site is one of the biggest in West Africa and the said client is paying huge fees to occupy that space. Now, I wonder why the guys at LASAA will act so Machiavellian in this matter.

First, the demand for upfront payment for the full year is absurd. Even clients that occupy our out-of-home advertising spaces don't pay one year's rental in advance. Where does the agency then expect OOH companies to get monies (running into hundreds of millions) from to offset their bills? Go to the banks? And incur additional costs in interest charges? It is unfair, and what is more pathetic is that the practitioners seem helpless. ADVAN, OOAN and all the other stakeholders seem to have laid their heads down on the chopping block. So, I only half blame LASAA for going for the kill.

(So, the material came down and now we are left to patch the damage done. I can imagine how the meeting with the client would have gone. )

Makes me remember the white lies and half-truths I had told another client of mine last week when two of the boards three of of my big clients occupy, were asked to be removed by same LASAA. Yea, I know - those guys again!!!

I had felt horrible saying those things to the client, but I didn't have a choice. It was a necessity. Now, even Kinky has started to make jests of me.

"Shai, your company have turned you into a really good liar." She would laugh, but in play you hear the real thoughts of the heart.

I swear I don't lie to her often; only essential lies (don't scrunch up your face).

We all lie!

No?

Yes!!!

Suffice to say the company's top dogs have begun to "engage" authorities at LASAA to try and untangle the royal mess they have put us in with the client.

One hundred and fifty million is no joke! Plus said client has also issued a four hundred and twenty million, two year contract for the conversion of the same site into a digital board. Hmmmmpf, LASAA! No pour sand sand for Garri na!!!


Wednesday was slightly better. Personally that is.

I entered into the final lap of negotiations with my Pronmoworld contact for our "Landmark" site at NEPA Building. Yea, you know it? The one along Eko bridge...yes, that one.

One hundred and fifty smackers for that one. From the body language I can read from across the table, it's going to be a windfall soon (Yes, plus the MTN contract it is looking like it). There is a big client, the biggest in the I.T. business (name withheld) looking to make a strong entry into the Nigerian market.

Fingers crossed on that one and I am not counting my chickens yet.

The regular Thursday "marketing team" seem to have been temporarily forgotten. Not with all of the drama going on.

Since I resumed, we have only had one meeting. And at this rate, the next meeting will probably have me and "oga" sitting across each other in the conference room. We would be the only ones in the department by then. I guess he did his job well!

Wait.

But, the whip has turned round on him too.

I heard same day, from reliable sources, that he was issued a memo. In it, he was told in no uncertain terms, that if the company doesn't hit it's projected half-year sales target by August, "necessary action" will be taken against him.

Hmmmm.

And the said "expected sales target" is two billion.

We told the murda-fucker when he was drawing up the sales target that it was not possible, but he didn't listen. Now, those figures are being used to whack him on the head.

As at June ending, we are close to seven hundred million. Good or bad? I wait to see the magic wand o!

On Friday, I received a letter from my Promoworld contact. Not what I was expecting. But, can I complain?

I had been expecting a contract. But, I got a "statement of intention" letter shortlisting three sites the international I.T. company was interested in occupying, with the pro-rated rates for the remaining months of the year. The sticking point though is the fact that my contact wants to claim some discount, which we never discussed in our negotiations.

Nigerians!!!

I am damned sure that the rates to the said I.T. company would have been much higher than the rates I proposed to my local contact. However, as everything in this country they still want to make something extra on the side. That is not bad, but twenty percent off the total figures?

Haba!

I didn't waste time doing her a mail and making my reservations known.

Let's just say we were able to reach some kind of agreement.

A fifty million contract for three sites varying from three to five months' occupancy can't be bad?

Well, I hope the Top Dog and Oga don't scupper this one for me.

So, I await the contract proper.

It rained on and off all weekend....so, I just curled up on the bed or the sofa finishing my Ludlum (Holcroft Covenant) or watching a succession of Indie Movies. My top pick of those, I am Khan!

Yes, and Kish had his older cuz around - Tofarasin.

The house was a hell of a lot noisier!

Be seeing you around.

Cheerios.