Dear Siita Sofo Hissan,
I could still recount moments I had with you in 2015 at a time you established Northern Television (NTV) in Tamale. In fact, our first encounter was at your residence through a third-party who recommended me to you and since then I became inspired and have been your ardent follower.
Our meeting was basically about how to share ideas, network and build a strong team to build a world-class television station to the development and promotion of peace and unity in the three regions of the north and Ghana at large.
After your short address at the meeting which brought together some selected media personnel from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, I became very excited and decided to contribute the little knowledge I had in rural journalism to help the discourse.
After our first meeting, series of meetings and capacity training seminars were held but I could not attend all because I was actively engaged in other equally important assignments elsewhere.
But it is still fresh on my mind the kind of questions you keep asking at every meeting “my team how do we make history in Northern Ghana because some TV stations emerged but could not survive, team let’s share ideas”.
My answer was always “Boss because of how some TV stations came and disappeared like mushrooms, I suggest we should concentrate on introducing rich content that seeks to educate, inform and entertain the public. Of course, nobody would tune in to watch adverts on a TV station but your rich content would attract your viewers”.
Mr. Siita Sofo Hissan you seemed to be a listening leader and implemented most of our suggestions (my suggestions) which have helped positioned NTV well as the most watched TV station in northern Ghana.
However, going straight to my main reason for writing you this letter, I was very worried and disappointed at a post on your Facebook wall and other news portals in which you expressed worry about how your main competitor CEO of Sagani TV was fighting you spiritually with ‘Juju’, trying to influence your staff with fat salaries and also takeover your customers.
However, the CEO of Sagani TV came out to debunk your claims.
My brother, honestly upon reading such post I thought your account was hacked by some unscrupulous persons because I never expected these superstitious allegations from a well celebrated young entrepreneur like you, well my checks later confirmed your account was not hacked!
I am not well positioned to justify whether your claims are substantiated or not because I don’t have the “spiritual lenses”, but one key thing you should be aware of is that, in the media industry the competition is very tight and anytime you meet your team deliberating on how to leverage on the market your competitors are also doing same. Nobody is sleeping!
Although I have not watched sagani TV for some time now because am out of reach, my understanding is that, the station is also picking up and is doing great job and that is all we need to drive the developmental agenda of Northern Ghana forward.
Mr. Siita Sofo Hissan, I started my letter by giving a scenario of how we met and some of the suggestions during our meetings in which I stressed on content. Yes, the success of every media outlet depends primarily on your rich content and how you resource the station and your staff, hence my humble appeal is that your focus should always be ensuring that, these primary factors are effectively put in place.
My brother, I think you went overboard by reacting openly, as a young celebrated entrepreneur who mentors a lot of youth including myself, we should not learn that part of yours (superstitious allegations). You are an icon who has gained several recognitions across the country and northern Ghana is proud of you.
I admonish you to review your “Public Relations and Marketing Tactical Weapons” which are the key strategies to enable your organization reposition itself and leverage on the competitiveness in critical times like you are facing now, if I may claim. This sounds technical but I would explain further to you in my next letter.
My brother as I end my letter, I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to you and the CEO of Sagani TV to unite and collaborate in diverse ways to promote peace and development in Northern Ghana since you all share same agenda. It is not about competition but rather about achieving your mission and vision of transforming and bringing development to the North.
I am anticipating your reply!
Thank you
Yours mentee
Mohammed Fugu
(Media Researcher & Journalist)
0541956893/0271007995