Sunday - at the office
Sunday Morning!
For the first time in a while, I am at the office on a Sunday pondering the vagaries of the accounting system and catching up on National and International news. We have two big jobs concurrently running at the workshop, one of which is due for installation at a shut down on the 25th and all our lads are working hard today.
It is a pleasing sight to see the workshop in full swing.
It appears Obuasi is a little bit more of a crime centre then I bargained for, and on two occasions now our newly reopened operation has been robbed.
The first time our four security guards were overpowered by some 15 “thugs” (as the report put it), bound with wire and locked in the stores container. The aforementioned thugs then set about breaking into all the offices and store rooms and liberating all manner of tools and equipment. They also managed to get to the safe – which is a home made job of 20mm plate and concrete – and apparently spend a large amount of time attempting to open it. They even used our oxygen cutting equipment in their attempts. One can see they were not ex employees as they did not quite understand the concept of a cutting torch and saw it fit not to use the acetylene with the oxygen. *chuckle*
We would have however had the last laugh, as there was nothing in the safe at all. I would have loved to have seen their faces if they had managed to get the safe open.
The security guards were released in the morning by the relieving shift after they had spent a good hour at the front gates wondering why the night shift was not coming to unlock them.
Fully understand, dear reader, that our site is inside mine premises with the obligatory mine security at the “only exit” searching all vehicles in their customary efficient manner. The fact that our thieves had to have had a vehicle to cart away all the goodies they nicked and one starts wondering how effective mine security actually is. (I am safe with the knowledge our security are not going to do anything brave for the GHC 1.000.000 (ZAR 750.00) that they earn a month.
A few days later, the lads were back – apparently they realised they needed the gauges for the cutting kits they nicked. Oh yeah – and they also nicked out sign. (most probably to practice their cutting skills for the next safe they come across).
I do however have a feeling that our competition benefit from this theft more than anyone else. *sweet smile* Oh to have a bit of proof.
We now have radios to facilitate the security guards communication with our management there.
The security company’s suggestion. “Everyone in Obuasi “hires” an armed policeman to “assist” with security. You can apparently do that subject to a payment of GHC 3.750.000 per month. Chatting to one of the other company’s that are there, they currently hire one policeman and actually need two. But it appears there are not enough policemen to go around! The suggestion he received (and followed I may add) was to write a letter to regional police headquarters in Accra, requesting them to send more policemen to Obuasi so that they may be hired.
Now excuse me for blinking my eyes a few times. We pay somewhere in the region of GHC 100.000.000 (ZAR 75.000) taxes per month. I would assume that the police are a public service and if the crime problem is severe as it seems to be, the police will spend a bit of time and effort investigating robberies and attempting to catch the perp’s. Not hiring their force out as quasi private security guards. Again those that know me know that I am on the verge of writing a scathing letter to the local and regional constabulary about my feelings on the matter, but I do believe it will get the same response as my previous letter to the local cop shop about my imam alarm clock.
I have my camera in the car today as I took my time to admire the view on the drive home last night and have noticed the most amazing amount of signage that serves to bring a huge smile on my face. In order to do it justice I believe a picture is worth a thousand words. (sides my posts are long at the best of times *chuckle*)
It is now less then two weeks to home time… and I have reached ansi stage. This was evident last week where for the third time since I arrived here, I had a famous “Tony loss of temper, shout, swear and get the fuck out of my office” moment.
A local contractor was requested to price a job for us. He came in that morning with a quote for $2000.00 labour. For two days work! Four people! When I queried the charge, he basically said “tell me how much you want to pay me”. I was most polite and asked him to please relook at the quote and come back to me with a figure that would make both of us comfortable due to the fact I am not into horse trading.
That afternoon the quote came back in a really interesting format. Instead of a price for the job, he quoted me a price per 14 square meters. While dragging my mind back to school and how to calculate the area of a pipe (dia x pye x length for those who cannot remember), I ended up working out that the labour charge for the job I asked him to quote me on had now reached the princely sum of $2480.00. When this fact was pointed out, there was a lot of mumbling about how they had made a mistake and he would charge me $1000.00 for the labour.
A bit miffed I had a look at the material price and the quote was for 4 rolls at $2430.00 per roll. A quick dig back to see what we paid for the material a while back, led me to a cost price for him of $1340.00 per roll. All in all we could do the same job at 30% of the price that he quoted me. I then said “thanks, but no thanks” and was quite happy to leave it at that.
What got to me – and then caused me to lose my temper – was the lad decided to sit down and cut his price to what it should have been in the first place. Now I have a GREAT aversion to people who try and rip me off, and sitting at my desk watching this happen caused the brain to see red. Ergo the explosion.
After duly tossing the lad out of my office, I walked outside to find my temper which given the explosive force could very well have been somewhere far away. My entire staff were standing outside, and collectively gave me that “Oh my god, you are not going to carry on shouting” look as I walked out. I did make a joke out of the incident and after a lot of chuckling everyone got back to work.
I do not lose my temper often, but when I do, the fall out is severe. *sigh*
As previously mentioned it is Month End Report time, so let me at that!
For the first time in a while, I am at the office on a Sunday pondering the vagaries of the accounting system and catching up on National and International news. We have two big jobs concurrently running at the workshop, one of which is due for installation at a shut down on the 25th and all our lads are working hard today.
It is a pleasing sight to see the workshop in full swing.
It appears Obuasi is a little bit more of a crime centre then I bargained for, and on two occasions now our newly reopened operation has been robbed.
The first time our four security guards were overpowered by some 15 “thugs” (as the report put it), bound with wire and locked in the stores container. The aforementioned thugs then set about breaking into all the offices and store rooms and liberating all manner of tools and equipment. They also managed to get to the safe – which is a home made job of 20mm plate and concrete – and apparently spend a large amount of time attempting to open it. They even used our oxygen cutting equipment in their attempts. One can see they were not ex employees as they did not quite understand the concept of a cutting torch and saw it fit not to use the acetylene with the oxygen. *chuckle*
We would have however had the last laugh, as there was nothing in the safe at all. I would have loved to have seen their faces if they had managed to get the safe open.
The security guards were released in the morning by the relieving shift after they had spent a good hour at the front gates wondering why the night shift was not coming to unlock them.
Fully understand, dear reader, that our site is inside mine premises with the obligatory mine security at the “only exit” searching all vehicles in their customary efficient manner. The fact that our thieves had to have had a vehicle to cart away all the goodies they nicked and one starts wondering how effective mine security actually is. (I am safe with the knowledge our security are not going to do anything brave for the GHC 1.000.000 (ZAR 750.00) that they earn a month.
A few days later, the lads were back – apparently they realised they needed the gauges for the cutting kits they nicked. Oh yeah – and they also nicked out sign. (most probably to practice their cutting skills for the next safe they come across).
I do however have a feeling that our competition benefit from this theft more than anyone else. *sweet smile* Oh to have a bit of proof.
We now have radios to facilitate the security guards communication with our management there.
The security company’s suggestion. “Everyone in Obuasi “hires” an armed policeman to “assist” with security. You can apparently do that subject to a payment of GHC 3.750.000 per month. Chatting to one of the other company’s that are there, they currently hire one policeman and actually need two. But it appears there are not enough policemen to go around! The suggestion he received (and followed I may add) was to write a letter to regional police headquarters in Accra, requesting them to send more policemen to Obuasi so that they may be hired.
Now excuse me for blinking my eyes a few times. We pay somewhere in the region of GHC 100.000.000 (ZAR 75.000) taxes per month. I would assume that the police are a public service and if the crime problem is severe as it seems to be, the police will spend a bit of time and effort investigating robberies and attempting to catch the perp’s. Not hiring their force out as quasi private security guards. Again those that know me know that I am on the verge of writing a scathing letter to the local and regional constabulary about my feelings on the matter, but I do believe it will get the same response as my previous letter to the local cop shop about my imam alarm clock.
I have my camera in the car today as I took my time to admire the view on the drive home last night and have noticed the most amazing amount of signage that serves to bring a huge smile on my face. In order to do it justice I believe a picture is worth a thousand words. (sides my posts are long at the best of times *chuckle*)
It is now less then two weeks to home time… and I have reached ansi stage. This was evident last week where for the third time since I arrived here, I had a famous “Tony loss of temper, shout, swear and get the fuck out of my office” moment.
A local contractor was requested to price a job for us. He came in that morning with a quote for $2000.00 labour. For two days work! Four people! When I queried the charge, he basically said “tell me how much you want to pay me”. I was most polite and asked him to please relook at the quote and come back to me with a figure that would make both of us comfortable due to the fact I am not into horse trading.
That afternoon the quote came back in a really interesting format. Instead of a price for the job, he quoted me a price per 14 square meters. While dragging my mind back to school and how to calculate the area of a pipe (dia x pye x length for those who cannot remember), I ended up working out that the labour charge for the job I asked him to quote me on had now reached the princely sum of $2480.00. When this fact was pointed out, there was a lot of mumbling about how they had made a mistake and he would charge me $1000.00 for the labour.
A bit miffed I had a look at the material price and the quote was for 4 rolls at $2430.00 per roll. A quick dig back to see what we paid for the material a while back, led me to a cost price for him of $1340.00 per roll. All in all we could do the same job at 30% of the price that he quoted me. I then said “thanks, but no thanks” and was quite happy to leave it at that.
What got to me – and then caused me to lose my temper – was the lad decided to sit down and cut his price to what it should have been in the first place. Now I have a GREAT aversion to people who try and rip me off, and sitting at my desk watching this happen caused the brain to see red. Ergo the explosion.
After duly tossing the lad out of my office, I walked outside to find my temper which given the explosive force could very well have been somewhere far away. My entire staff were standing outside, and collectively gave me that “Oh my god, you are not going to carry on shouting” look as I walked out. I did make a joke out of the incident and after a lot of chuckling everyone got back to work.
I do not lose my temper often, but when I do, the fall out is severe. *sigh*
As previously mentioned it is Month End Report time, so let me at that!
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home